Senior hurlers overcome Glynn Barntown in senior championship.
The Shelmalier Senior hurling team qualified for the quarter finals of this years championship with a comprehensive 2-14 to 0-11 victory over Glynn Barntown in Monamolin on Saturday last. Glynn Barntown were first on the scoreboard after three minutes, but Colm Kehoe leveled for his team from a 65 two minutes later. Successive points from Seamie Harding, Alan Griffith, Chris McGrath and two from Thomas Barron put the Shels in a commanding lead. With Mick Kelly, Eoin Doyle, Clive Lawlor and Aidan Murphy command in defense the Barntown side got few clear chances to get a score. With Chris McGrath scoring a beautiful point from long range and Seamie Harding firing over after some fine team play from his fellow forward helped the Shels extend their lead as half time approached. However, Chris McGrath fired to the Barntown net at stroke of half time to give the Shels a 1-8 to 0-4 lead at the interval.
Barntown came out with great determination at the start of the second half and put over two quick point in the first five minutes of the restart. With Alan Griffith, Brian Malone, Colm Kehoe and Tomas Barron beginning to move the ball swiftly into the full forward line the Shels soon regained the initiative. Alan Griffith and Stephen Banville combined very well for the latter to score a fine point, before Barntown scored two further points to leave the sides at 1-9 to 0-7 after 12 minutes of the half. Substitute Dessie Kehoe was only on the field on play for a short while, having replace Fergie Parker, when he connected to a long high ball by putting it into the net to end the match as a contest. Chris McGrath, Colm Kehoe, Stephen Banville (2) and substitute Ibar Murphy had further points for the Shelmaliers before the final whistle, to leave a final score of 2-14 to 0-11 in favour of the Shelmaliers.