Gleeson leads the way as Sion spared blushes amid high tensions
Tempers flare in unsavory first-half scenes during the JJ Kavanagh & Sons. Co. Senior hurling championship clash between Mount Sion and Ballygunner B at Azzurri Walsh Park. Photo: Noel Browne
0-15 from Austin Gleeson proved pivotal as 14-man Mount Sion came out on top against Ballygunner B on Saturday, though a shock seemed on the cards right up to the final five minutes.
A gallant Ballygunner B outfit produced their best performance to date in the senior grade, and they can count themselves extremely unlucky not to have claimed the scalp of last year’s county finalists.
Ballygunner B were more like their A counterparts in the early exchanges as they reeled off four scores without reply. Cathal O’Sullivan played a great ball to allow Jake Foley to get things going on 25 seconds, before O’Sullivan himself drove over when afforded space as the Gunners laid down the early gauntlet.
A Ruairi Fitzpatrick strike and another from Foley as he cut inside Tadhg Corcoran made it 4-0 early on, before Sion also had the problem of losing their goalkeeper as veteran Ian O’Regan succumbed to injury with just five minutes on the clock.
The physicality and tempers were fever pitch throughout, and as they deployed PJ Fanning at sweeper to counter the influence of O’Sullivan - Mount Sion announced their arrival with four unanswered scores of their own to draw level.
Austin Gleeson’s free from the halfway line got them ticking on 7 minutes, before two more in quick succession and a Stephen Roche strike from close range brought about parity midway through the opening half.
Angled ball to Jake Foley continued to cause Mount Sion problems at the opposite end as he notched another thanks to great play by Sean Harney, before Gavin Corbett stood up Stephen O’Neill and went on to split the posts to restore a two-point cushion for Ballygunner.
The game ensued into what can only be described as utter chaos on 17 minutes. A nudge from Cathal O’Sullivan on Austin Gleeson saw the former Hurler of the Year lash out and send him hurtling to the floor - resulting in extremely unsavoury scenes which saw punches fly, bodies strewn everywhere and it even spilled into the stand.
Once order was finally restored by Martin Curran and his team of officials, it seemed a certainty that Gleeson would be receiving early marching orders but Curran ruled otherwise - brandishing a yellow card to the dissatisfaction of many patrons, but Mikey Daykin wasn’t afforded similar luck and he was shown a red as Sion went down to 14.
Immediately upon the resumption, we were treated to the very best of Gleeson - collecting a short puckout, he unleashed a piledriver from inside his own 45 that sailed like an arrow over the crossbar. A well-taken score on the run from the impressive Ollie Fives was cancelled out by a second from Roche, before two more frees via Gleeson gave Mount Sion the lead for the first time on 25 minutes.
It could’ve got better for the monastery men moments later as a misplaced pass from Philip Power kindly teed up Adam Regan, but his strike was well saved by Cian Troy who diverted it over the bar.
Gleeson’s free-taking prowess knew no bounds as he cannoned over another from miles out, before a Conor Berry beauty at the other end was cancelled out by one of his own from Martin F O’Neill.
Despite Daykin’s dismissal, Mount Sion were beginning to assume control - but two Billy O’Keeffe frees did haul Ballygunner B back within a solitary point. It could’ve been a different scenario had substitute goalkeeper Josh Fanning not got down well to deny the lively Foley at his near post approaching half time, though it did not take long for the Gunners to raise a green flag.
Gavin Corbett was sent racing through in the third minute of first half additional time and again his strike was well saved by Josh Fanning, but the rebound fell kindly into the path of the onrushing Adam Dawson who pulled instantly to the net - and Ballygunner B led 1-10 to 0-11 at the break.
Mount Sion immediately moved back ahead on the resumption as half-time substitute Jamie Meaney, and two more dead balls from Gleeson gave them momentum - but Gavin Corbett became far more influential for their opponents and a game was certainly on our hands.
Gleeson and John Kennedy found the target for Mount Sion but the Gunners wouldn’t go away, another from Berry and a Charlie Whitty strike brought the teams level for the sixth occasion on 44 minutes.
Corbett looked in for a certain goal before a superb sliding intervention by Tadhg Corcoran, but another from the Gunners star and a fourth of the afternoon from Jake Foley again made Mount Sion sweat. Three frees from Gleeson kept the scoreboard ticking for Sion, but Corbett was again afforded too much room and Adam Dawson found time to plant his feet - as the scoreboard read 1-17 to 0-19 in Ballygunner’s favour approaching the final five minutes.
Going down the home straight, Mount Sion needed inspiration and it came in the form of All-Ireland minor winners Bradley Penkert and Tommy Kennedy - both firing over fine efforts from either flank to wrestle back the lead late on.
Another from Gleeson and a superb slice from Martin O’Neill looked to have guaranteed the points, but two from Billy O’Keeffe brought it back to a one-point game again with only additional time remaining.
Ballygunner B threw the kitchen sink but couldn’t come up trumps, and fittingly - Gleeson’s fifteenth of the afternoon proved the final score, as Mount Sion breathed a huge sigh of relief come the finish.
Austin Gleeson (0-15; 0-14f); Stephen Roche (0-2); Martin F O’Neill, Adam Regan, John Kennedy, Jamie Meaney, Martin O’Neill, Bradley Penkert and Tommy Kennedy (0-1 each)
Adam Dawson (1-1); Billy O’Keeffe (0-4; 0-3f); Jake Foley and Gavin Corbett (0-4 each); Conor Berry (0-2); Cathal O’Sullivan, Ruairi Fitzpatrick, Ollie Fives and Charlie Whitty (0-1 each)
Ian O’Regan; Tadhg Corcoran, Stephen O’Neill, Ben Frisby; Mikey Daykin, PJ Fanning, Gavin Power; Jamie Gleeson, John Kennedy; Adam Regan, Stephen Roche, Alan Kirwan; Martin F O’Neill, Austin Gleeson, Martin O’Neill.
Josh Fanning for Ian O’Regan (5; inj); Jamie Meaney for Adam Regan (HT); Bradley Penkert for Alan Kirwan (HT); Tommy Kennedy for Martin F O’Neill (HT); Aaron Coughlan for Gavin Power (48)
Cian Troy; Craig O’Keeffe, Sean Harney, Tony Brennan; Scott Fleming, Cathal O’Sullivan, Adam Dawson; Ruairi Fitzpatrick, Charlie Whitty; Philip Power, Billy O’Keeffe, Gavin Corbett, Jake Foley, Conor Berry, Ollie Fives.
Barry O’Sullivan for Conor Berry (58); James Comerford for Charlie Whitty (59)
Martin Curran (An Sean Phobal)
