White’s Cross secured a late but thoroughly deserved victory over Glen Rovers in the quarter final of the City Division Junior B hurling championship on Wednesday evening last. The game was scheduled to start at 7.30 pm but due to very poor visibility at the venue, referee Chris Broderick decided to wait for 20 minutes to see if the mist would lift. Eventually at 7.55 he threw the ball in as visibility improved. In truth, conditions proved to be very difficult throughout the game. Credit then to both sides for producing a very high standard of hurling and a very entertaining game.  

White’s Cross got off to a very good start and a point by Seamus Reid from a free was followed by goal from full-forward Ronan Aherne who scored his third goal in two championship games. This gave his side a 1-01 to 0-02 lead. However, from here to the end of the first half the game belonged to the Blackpool men. Corner forwards James Maher and Dan Savage were razor sharp as they slotted over point after a point. Indeed in the first half, they only struck one wayward shot. White’s Cross only response was another Seamus Reid free as we trailed at half time on a scoreline of 1-02 to 0-09. 

Whatever coach Padraic Kelleher said at the break certainly worked the oracle as different White’s Cross side emerged after the break. Within ten minutes the lead was cut to one point as two Seamus Reid frees were followed by the first point from play from midfielder Dan O’Sullivan. At the other side of the field our corner backs Richie Sherlock, a man who recently celebrated the birth of his first born child, and Ronan Quain managed to get a much tighter grip on their men as they limited them to much fewer chances.  

However, with the gap narrowed, and White’s Cross dominating possession , they were nonetheless unable to get the equalising score. When the game became a one-score match, the Glen would extend the lead out to two point before White’s Cross managed to cut it back to one again.This continued as the score changed from 1-05 to 0-09 to becoming 1 -08 to 0-12 with only three minutes left to play. 

This is when the decisive moment in the game occurred. Seamus Reid finished a fine personal performance when he doubled on the ball to the net to give White’s Cross a two-point lead. Several minutes of injury time were played to give the Glen every chance to get back into the game. Though they added one point it was White’s Cross that drove home their advantage with further points from Seamus Reid and Sean O’Neill. White’s Cross now go onto meet Mayfield in the semi-final of the championship. 

Team: Daniel Dunphy, Ronan Quain, Derek O’Connor, Richie Sherlock, Cathal Quinlan, Martin Reid, Seamus Quinlan, Max Philpott, Dan O’Sullivan, Sean O’Neill, Conor Dochert, Ross Murphy, David Hyde, Ronan Aherne, Seamus Reid. Subs Fergal Reid, Sean O’Donnell,  Cormac O’Flynn, Senan Ryan, Sean Twomey