Stunning Gleeson sideline sees Mount Sion survive an extra-time thriller
Mount Sion's Austin Gleeson releases a hand pass during the J.J Kavanagh & Sons Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Final game against Clonea at Walsh Park. Photos: Eddie Dee
Relief for Mount Sion, rage for Clonea after a dramatic quarter final in the Saturday evening sunshine.
The Monastery men can consider themselves lucky to still be in the championship. At the end of normal time, Billy Power had a chance to secure a famous Clonea win but pulled his shot to the right of the posts and wide after blocking down Austin Gleeson. At the end of extra time, Power had a free to bring the game to penalties but again dragged it off target at the City End. He flung away his hurley and helmet when the final whistle went. A missed opportunity for the boys in green.
Clonea centre forward James Power was the best player on the pitch. The Waterford footballer fired seven points from play in normal time. His form in this year’s championship warrants a county call-up. Kieran Power, Willie Hahessy and Francis Roche also starred on the losing side.
Sion have Austin Gleeson and Ian O'Regan to thank for sneaking through to the semis. Gleeson shot seven extra time points, including the winner from a sideline cut, after moving from defence to attack. Veteran goalkeeper O'Regan made an extraordinary save with his head from Stephen Curry in the first period of extra time! Iggy saved again from James Power on 82 minutes with Sion only a point up. Luke O’Brien had big moments both at full back and centre back while John Kennedy made a difference off the bench.
Before the high drama, it was low quality fare. By full time, these two sides hit 35 wides between them! 18 for Clonea, 17 for Mount Sion.
Clonea welcomed back Willie Hahessy from injury and he picked up Alan Kirwan. Mairtin Power followed Adam Regan. Both of them won their duels.
An error strewn yet fiercely contested first half featured 18 scores and 17 wides. Austin Gleeson picked up from where he left off against Fourmilewater with a point from his own 45! The standout player of the opening half however was his direct opponent James Power who picked off four points from play.
Martin O'Neill nailed five (four frees) for Sion. His fifth came off a stray puckout from Paudie Hunt to make it 10-6. Billy Power replied. Gleeson then sent a sideline straight over the whitewash. Billy found his brother James and his fourth white flag narrowed the gap to two at the break. Clonea shot eight wides while Sion struck nine.p Within 40 seconds of the throw in, Ciaran Power supplied James Power for his fifth point. Two missed frees from O'Neill gave the underdogs further encouragement. Gleeson was also off target with a long distance effort. Both sides went to pieces in front of the sticks. Gleeson eventually broke the pattern with a free between his own 45 and 65 (0-11 to 0-9). Clonea then had three wides in a row. O'Neill saw a mishit free batted away by Hunt before finally striking one between the posts. Donal Power scored a point off his knees to leave four between them with fifteen minutes left.
Clonea never went away. Thomas Skehan pointed with his first touch and Francis Roche put over two frees. The wides continued to mount. Gleeson got so frustrated that he snapped his hurley in two after flicking a ball over the sideline. Kieran Power swung his stick in disbelief when he was off target.
With four minutes left, the stand erupted when Robbie Flynn whipped to the net in a goalmouth scramble. Clonea were a point up but not for long as Stephen Roche and John Kennedy regained Sion’s lead within a minute.
In a grandstand finish, mighty points by James and Kieran Power nudged Clonea ahead before Jamie Gleeson swung an equaliser over his shoulder without looking at the posts. Two minutes into injury time, James Power beat three defenders, banged the sliotar off the ground and produced his seventh point from play! O’Neill levelled it again.
In the 64th minute, Austin Gleeson opened his shoulders on his own D. It looked like he was going for a blockbuster point but got blocked by Billy Power. Everyone expected the white flag to go up but his shot was waved wide instead. Back to the dressing rooms to prepare for extra time!
Sion boss Jamie O'Meara moved Gleeson to centre forward and Luke O'Brien to centre back for the new game. It paid off immediately as O'Brien burst forward to shoot a point. Gleeson let out an almighty roar when he rifled over another from play. With O’Neill now in the stand, Aussie also dispatched three frees. Further points from Adam Regan and John Kennedy left it 0-25 to 1-16 at the change of ends. On the stroke of half time, Ian O’Regan headed away a bullet from Stephen Curry!
Clonea looked dead and buried but a Francis Roche goal two minutes into the second period reignited the crowd. Substitute Gearoid Power added a point. Another sub Aaron Gleeson and Roche levelled it up. Jamie Gleeson hit the ground with cramp but his brother Austin pinged over a sideline between the 45 and 65 from the open stand side.
The drama didn’t end there. James Power went for the jugular two minutes into added time but O’Regan deflected the shot away. Kieran Power won a free on his own 65 but Billy Power couldn’t convert much to his frustration.
Austin Gleeson 0-9 (6fs, 1 sideline), Martin O'Neill 0-7 (6fs), John Kennedy, Jamie Gleeson, Stephen Roche, Donal Power 0-2 each, Adam Regan, Luke O'Brien, Gavin Power, Stephen O’Neill 0-1 each.
Francis Roche 1-5 (3fs, 1 65), James Power 0-7, Billy Power 0-4 (3fs), Robbie Flynn 1-0, Kieran Power 0-2, Gearoid Power, Aaron Gleeson, Thomas Skehan 0-1 each.
Ian O'Regan; Stephen O'Neill, Luke O'Brien, Ben Flanagan; Martin F O'Neill, Austin Gleeson, Gavin Power; Donal Power, PJ Fanning; Martin O'Neill, Jamie Gleeson, Stephen Roche; Adam Regan, Mikey Daykin, Alan Kirwan.
Evan Curran for Kirwan (HT), John Kennedy for Daykin (43), Jamie Meaney for Power (50), Ben Frisby for Martin F O'Neill (61), Mikey Daykin for Martin O'Neill (ET), Emmanuel Adebayo for Jamie Gleeson (80), Martin O'Neill for Meaney (82).
Paudie Hunt; Willie Hahessy, Adam Murray, Mairtin Power; Ger Hahessy, Kieran Power, Reece O'Mahony; Billy Power, Stephen Curry; Robbie Flynn, James Power, Ciaran Power; Gearoid Power, Francis Roche, Ronan Elliffe.
Thomas Skehan for Gearoid Power (42), Michael Curry for Elliffe (54), Jack Kirwan for Ger Hahessy (70), (Aaron Gleeson for Flynn (71), Gearoid Power for Ciaran Power (72)
Paddy Smith (Shamrocks)
James Power had the game of his life with seven points from play.
Billy Power had a chance to win it for Clonea with the last puck of normal time.
That unusual Ian O'Regan save!
A local derby between Mount Sion and Roanmore on Sunday.
