Wicklow SHC final/Carnew Emmets 0-16 Glenealy 1-8: The Wicklow senior hurling final at Aughrim yesterday was marred by disgraceful scenes a minute from the end of normal time. Carnew were leading defending champions Glenealy by five points when an ugly fracas broke out on the sideline and it involved substitutes as well as players from both teams.
During the free-for-all, hurleys were used to strike opponents and, when order was finally restored, some players resumed play with faces spattered in blood.
County secretary Michael Murphy confirmed the incident would have to be discussed by the County Management Committee.
The game itself was contested with real championship fervour. With the wind in the first half Glenealy raced into an early lead thanks to 1-1 by corner forward Wayne O'Gorman and they went in at the break leading by 1-5 to 0-5.
But Carnew dominated the second half and there was a man-of-the-match performance from former Railway Cup star Don Hyland, wearing the number 14 jersey, who scored 11 of their 16 points, seven of them coming from frees.
However, Glenealy suffered a cruel blow after 10 minutes when they lost their regular full back MA O'Neill, who had to leave the field injured. Leighton Glynn was turning in another power-packed display for Glenealy at midfield, but they needed to be more than three points up at half-time when turning over to play against the strengthening wind.
Hyland narrowed the gap to one point after seven minutes of the second half, then he swapped another point with Glenealy's Jonathan O'Neill before Timmy Collins brought the sides level (1-6 to 0-9) with a point from a sideline ball on 44 minutes.
Two minutes later Carnew took the lead for the first time when Hyland landed his eighth point and at that stage the winners were dominating play. Further points by Hyland and Vincent Flaherty opened up a four-point gap, 0-13 to 1-6, with nine minutes left. Glynn tried to lift his team with two points but each time Gary Doran and Hyland responded to ensure Carnew won their 16th title.
CARNEW: A Doyle; W Collins, G Keogh, B Bolger; G Doran (0-1), L Kennedy, D Doran (0-1); R Doyle, T Kennedy; J Murphy, E O'Sullivan, T Collins (0-1); E Kennedy, D Hyland (0-11), V Flaherty (0-1). Subs: J Sinnott (0-1) for E Kennedy.
GLENEALY: J Driver; P Dunne, MA O'Neill, C Byrne; W Manning, MJ O'Neill, G Devlin; L Glynn (0-4), D Doyle; E Glynn, N Driver, M Byrne; W O'Gorman (1-2), J Phelan, J O'Neill (0-2). Subs: M McDonald for MA O'Neill, A Driver for M Byrne, T Doyle for E Glynn.
Referee: M Byrne (Kiltegan).
