Kilkenny JHL- Emmet Landy stars as Windgap see off Cloneen

Windgap and Cloneen travelled to a very windy St. Johns Park at midday on Sunday with a view to returning to winning ways.

With Cloneen lining out as selected and playing with the elements into the Johnswell goal, it was the much changed Windgap side that opened the scoring through Michael Power.

In the low scoring opening period, further points by Windgaps James Power and Emmett Landy frees and Cloneen’s Micheal Doyle a free, another drom goalkeeper Gary Delaney from a huge distance, Ciaran Cooney and Aidan Barry saw the sides

tied at three points and then at four points apiece after eighteen minutes.

After Bearna na Gaoithe added six points on the trot, an exchange of frees by Michael Delaney and Emmett Landy saw the half time score in Windgaps favour by 0-12 to 0-5.

Played on a perfect playing surface, Windgap re-opened with the strong breeze and added three pointed frees on the trot.

The next score saw Cloneen strike the games first goal after Kieran Whelan finished a Padraig Cooney cross, that still left them

with a huge challenge at 0-15 to 1-6 on the scoreboard.

The following twenty minutes saw Windgap add six points to a single Kieran Whelan reply to give them a 0-21 to 1-6 lead with three minutes to go.

As neutrals were hitting off to the next game and the dressing rooms beckoned for the players, a late scoring spree saw one third of the games score being registered in the final six minutes.

It started when Breandain Buggy finished a free to the net for Cloneen with James Culleton and James Power with a free responding for Windgap.

Injury time brought a further three goals, all for Windgap as they found their goal scoring touch after a barren hour.

With two set up by substitutes Darragh and Conor Doyle the one in the middle came from an Emmett Landy twenty metre

free.

The 3-23 to 2-6 scoreline when referee Brian Fox, called time gave no reflection on the game where Cloneen had battled well until they were hit by the final flourish of scores.

With Niall Walsh, James Culleton, James Power, William Phelan, Michael Power and Emmett Landy on frees playing well for Windgap, Padraig Cooney, Brian Cahill, Kieran Whelan all played well for Cloneen who were also well served by their goalkeeping pool.

In a unique series of events, Gary Delaney was playing well and had added a long range point before going off injured, his replacement Conor Byrne followed him as he made a brave and heroic save from Michael Power and deflected a close up shot for a 65.

With best wishes extended to both players it then saw Séan O’Neill, cúl baire number three make two excellent saves in

normal playing time.

Windgap: Eoin O’Shea, Paraic Foley, Cian Ryan, Peter Landy, William Phelan, Niall Walsh, Sean Purcell, Séan Power, Killian Enright (0-1), Jack Doyle (0-1), James Culleton (0-1), Emmett Landy (3-8) 1-8 frees, Michael Power (0-3), James Power (0-6) 0-4 frees, Billy Power (0-3).

Subs: Darragh Doyle, Conor Doyle, Pat Grace, Adam O’Shea and Zak Kennedy.

Cloneen; Gary Delaney (0-1), John Kelly, Paul Kelly, Eddie Gannon, Brian McDonald (0-1), Brian Cahill, Dara Delaney, Harry Roche, Aidan Barry (0-1),, Michael Doyle (0-2) 0-2frees, Ciarán Cooney, Breandáin Buggy, Chris Phelan, Padraig Cooney, Kieran Whelan.

Subs used. Conor Byrne, Séan O’Neill, Phillip Roche, Adam Buggy, Eoin Ryan.