Confey survive strong third quarter pressure to reach semi-finals
Neil Ryan (Confey) gets his shot away despite the efforts of Ardclough's Tadhg McCarthy
Confey withstood a third quarter comeback from Ardclough in Celbridge on Sunday afternoon to secure their passage to the semi-finals of the UPMC Senior A Hurling Championship, where they have the dubious pleasure of tackling six-in-a-row chasing Naas.
Whatever happens in that one, and Confey shipped seven goals when they met a few weeks ago, it has been a productive championship for the men from Cope Bridge, who have lowered the colours of Leixlip, Celbridge and now Ardclough in local derbies to reach the last four for the first time since 2021.
The placing of Kevin Chan in the inside forward line was a master stroke, the veteran proving almost unmarkable and striking two goals in the opening eleven minutes to put Ardclough on the back foot.
They did respond to the first goal with one of their own through Tim Ryan but by half-time Confey had moved into a commanding ten point lead (2-12 to 1-5) with eight different players, including all six forwards on the scoresheet.
Ardclough came out with renewed vigour for the second half and had three points from freetaker Seán Whelan and another from Eoghan Walsh. Neil Ryan, the diminutive Confey wing-forward, produced their only reply in that period, his third point of the game.
And when the wily old campaigner Tony Spain shot to the net and Whelan and Sean Buggy added points shortly afterwards, Ardclough had narrowed the deficit to two points (2-13 to 2-11) with seventeen minutes still to play.
But Bass settled his side with a fine point under pressure from near the sideline and the game’s crucial score arrived midway through the half.
The livewire Ryan sent a ball in from the left wing which goalkeeper Martin Fitzgerald didn’t fully bring under his spell and Chan snapped up the loose ball to set-up substitute Eoin Lynch, only on the field three minutes, for a finish to the net.
That made it a six-point game and although Whelan’s first point from play, his ninth in all, narrowed the gap a little, Bass hit back with two frees to bring his own tally to seven.
There was still one sting in the tail a minute from the end when Whelan drove a close-range free low. It was deflected into the air and the dangerous Ryan was on hand to strike the ball first time to the net for his second goal.
That left four between them and it stayed that way through injury time as Ardclough’s season came to an end.
Shane Quinn; Aiden Crean, Seán Leamy, Colm Noctor; Kieran Kilbane, Paul Divilly 0-1, Colm Chan; Frank Bass 0-7 (5fs,1’65), Enda Bannon; Aidan Ryan 0-1, Niall Glennon 0-1, Neil Ryan 0-3; Brian Grimes 0-1, Kevin Chan 2-0, Oisín Lynch 0-2. SUBS: Anto Hoare for Noctor 27, Philip Quigley for Glennon 39, Eoin Lynch 1-0 for Grimes 45, Paul Feerick for K Chan 55, Fiachra Lynch for Bass 60.
Martin Fitzgerald; Niall Devane, Aaron Casey, Tadhg Murphy; David Collins, Drew Costello, James Casey; Liam Hanley, Seán Buggy 0-1; Tony Spain 1-0, Seán Whelan 0-9 (7fs,1’65), Matthew Stapleton; Tim Ryan 2-0, Jonathan Reeves 0-1, Eoghan Walsh 0-1. SUB: Michael Freyne for Devane HT, Michael Small for Reeves HT, Patrick O’Malley for Stapleton 40, Conor Kelly for Collins 50.
Billy O’Connell
