A very strong performances from White’s Cross wasn’t enough to secure victory in their final group stage game, as they fell to a narrow 2-14 to 0-21 defeat against Glen Rovers at the Glen Field on Sunday morning. In a contest that ebbed and flowed throughout, the home side clinched the win toward the end of the game.
White’s Cross started brightly, responding to an early Glen Rovers free with a point from play by Dan Kelleher. The Cross showed their intent when a fourth-minute goal from John McElhinney, supplemented by points from Donncha Murnane and McElhinney himself, established an early advantage. Despite Glen Rovers keeping the scoreboard ticking over, primarily through frees, White’s Cross held a narrow 1-8 to 0-10 lead at the interval, thanks to further scores from Eddie Coughlan and another from Kelleher.
The second half began with the same high intensity, and McElhinney rattled the net for his second goal shortly after the restart, re-asserting a four-point cushion. However, the hosts refused to buckle, launching a determined comeback and firing over a succession of points to chip away at the deficit.
Goalkeeper Shane Cahill was outstanding for White’s Cross, pulling off a number of crucial saves. Points from PJ O’Donovan, McElhinney, and the unerring accuracy of Coughlan from placed balls and play kept White’s Cross in touch. A late flurry, including two vital points from Coughlan in the final minutes of normal time, wasn’t enough to deny Glen Rovers sealing the narrowest of victories.
TEAM
1 – Shane Cahill
2 – Seamus Quinlan
3 – Senan Ryan
4 – Aidan Docherty
5 – Gearoid Fleming
6 – Ruairi Quinlan
7 – PJ O’Donovan
8 – Aidan O’Neill
9 – Conor Buckley
10 – Donncha Murnane
11 – Michael Goggin
12 – Eddie Coughlan
13 – Conor Docherty
14 – Dan Kelleher
15 – John McElhinney
SUBS:
Cathal Quinlan , Chris Dunne , Ronan Quain