Kilkenny JHC- Extra-time glory as Barrow Rangers see off Galmoy

Barrow Rangers stayed the distance as they eventually saw off Galmoy via extra-time in Saturday’s JJ Kavanagh JHC Semi-Final.

The win which sees the Paulstown outfit into a first final in 15 years also assures them of qualification to the Leinster Championship as a result of O’Loughlin Gaels second team advancing to meet them in two weeks time.

It was Joe Healy’s goal seven minutes into extra-time that put an end to the Galmoy resistance after the two sides went at it hammer and tongs all the way up to that stage.

A first half major from the in-form Billy Hanlon meant Barrow Rangers led 1-10 to 0-9 at half-time and when sub Cathal English added a second goal in the 41st minute, they looked to be well on their way to success.

Led by a 15 point tally from Kilkenny star Billy Drennan, Galmoy worked their way back into the game ad led by two with four minutes left on the clock.

Successive Rangers efforts from Billy Hanlon, Jack Kelly and Joe Healy reversed the momentum before Kevin Duggan landed the Galmoy equaliser and extra-time resulted.

The opening half was well contested with the teams level on seven different occasions and it wasnt till Barrow Rangers opening goal that more than a point seperated the teams.

Billy Drennan and Brandan Phelan were the leading lights for Galmoy in that opening spell as they combined for seven points between them while the scoring was more spread out for the Paulstown boys as Joe Healy, Marc Drennan, Jack Kelly, Billy Hanlon and Mikey Doyle all found the target in response.

After Bill Hanlon made it 0-8 to 0-7 in favour of Barrow Rangers, the same player struck for goal soon afterwards as his driven effort found it’s way past Brian Kelly in the Galmoy goal.

Jack Kelly then rounded off a fantastic individual display with two more Rangers points before the interval and while Drennan and Gearoid Phelan responded for Galmoy, it was Paulstown dictating matters as they led 1-10 to 0-9.

Galmoy raced out of the dressing rooms for the second half with two Drennan points quickly followed up by scores from Gearoid Phelan and Jason Stanley and with Barrow Rangers only response via a Joe Healy free, there was only a point between the sides.

Barrow Rangers then struck for a potentially game defining goal with Cathal English flicking the sliotar home on the back of a Billy Hanlon sideline cut that landed around te danger area at the O’Loughlin’s end of Nowlan Park.

With Cathal Purcell adding on another point to offset Galmoy efforts from Drennan and Oisin Phelan, Barrow Rangers still held the upper hand going down the stretch.

Galmoy never wilted though and five points on the spin between the 51st and 56th minutes looked to have put the North Kilkenny side into a winning position.

While Drennan added two more points to his tally, crucially he was assisted by impressive efforts from play by Niall Drennan, Callum Lonergan and Jason Stanley to leave Eddie Kelly’s team two to the good.

It was now Barrow Rangers time to mount a comeback with Hanlon and Jack Kelly scoring to level up matters and just when they thought a Joe Healy free had won it, Galmoy responded with a Kevin Duggan effort in the last attack to force an extra 20 minutes of action.

The two teams exchanges scores to begin with in extra-time with two Billy Drennan frees cancelled out by points from Joe Healy and Billy Hanlon.

A goal was always going to be crucial and like in normal time it was Barrow Rangers who succeeded in this regard with Joe Healy burying a shot to the net on the back of a ball over the top from Conor Hanlon.

Galmoy kept at it with four points afterwards but the damage had already been done as and with Joe Healy and Keith Flavin getting further scores, Barrow Rangers held out.

Teams and Scorers

Barrow Rangers: Joe Healy (1-8, 7fs); Billy Hanlon (1-4); Jack Kelly (0-5); Cathal English (1-0); Marc Drennan (0-2); Keith Flavin, Mikey Doyle, Cathal Purcell (0-1 each)

Galmoy: Billy Drennan (0-15, 12fs); Brandan Phelan (0-3); Jason Stanley, Kevin Duggan, Gearoid Phelan (0-2 each); Callum Lonergan, Niall Drennan, Oisin Phelan (0-1 each)

Barrow Rangers: Richie Doyle; Paul Delaney, Darragh O’Connor, Kevin Brennan; Patrick Purcell, Kieran O’Neill, Noah Scully; Gary Hill, Marc Drennan; Mikey Doyle, Billy Hanlon, Keith Flavin; Shane McDonald, Jack Kelly, Joe Healy.

Subs: Cathal English for McDonald, 37 mins; Conor Hanlon for Flavin, 39 mins; Cathal Purcell for Doyle, 40 mins; Cillian Rudkins for Hill, 50 mins; Keith Flavin for Rudkins, 63 mins; Gary Hill for Kelly, 75 mins.

Galmoy: Brian Kelly; Kieran Phelan, Oisin Phelan, Dylan Grace; Conor Grace, Conor Drennan, Gearoid Phelan; Sean Phelan, Ryan Murphy; Niall Drennan, Callum Lonergan, Kevin Duggan; Billy Drennan, Jason Stanley, Brandan Phelan.

Subs: Brendan Phelan for C.Drennan, 50 mins; Frank Phelan for N.Drennan, 61 mins; James Darcy for K.Phelan, 69 mins; Niall Drennan for Stanley, 70 mins.

Referee: Richard Holland