Junior C Hurling Final - Barley House Wolves v Worcester

Worcester v Barley House Wolves

There was no separating these teams when they met earlier in the year, and for most of this final it looked like it was heading towards another draw. But three goals in the second half lifted Worcester to victory, and their captain Liam Kelly lifted the cup on a 3-06 to 0-08 scoreline. 

Worcester Captain Liam Kelly raises the junior C hurling cup.

The Barley House Wolves, from Concord NH, opened the scoring in the day’s first match through a Sean Naughton free. The Wolves were the more physical side in the first half and Michael Gregoire stretched to the max on more than one occasion for a diving block. 

Naughton would add two more frees before the halftime whistle and Barley House led 0-05 to 0-02 at the break. It could have been more if not for a brilliant Mike Default save that denied Barley House’s John Mullen at close range. Worcester’s points came from a C. Kenny free and a fine effort from Liam Kelly on the run. 

Worcester’s Seamus O’Shaughnessy scored the first point of the second half and it was the score of the day. The center forward plucked a sideline cut out of the air and fired a curling point over his left shoulder to get his side moving. Pat Naughton answered with a point for Barley House to keep them in the lead, but the match flipped on its head shortly after. 

Worcester’s corner forward was dragged down inside the box, and C. Kenny stepped up to the spot and blasted home to draw his side level at 0-06 to 1-03. Minutes later Worcester added another as Liam Kelly caught a long ball in and finished to the back of the net with his marker hanging off him. 

Pat Naughton answered with a point for Barley, and both sides ramped up the ante in the game’s closing minutes. A thunderbolt of a shoulder from one of the Western MA men left a Wolf lying in the grass, and Worcester put the finishing touches on their championship with another goal from captain Liam Kelly. 

Teams:

Worcester: M. Dufault, D. Smith, K. Moriarty, J. Alef, C. Kenny, J. Croleau, S. O’Shaughnessy, D. Cawsely, L. Kelly, S. O’Shaughnessy, J. King, Z. Jack, P. Heffernan

Barley House: A. Foley, D. Williams, J. Stasz, R. Nickerson, M. Gregoire, T. Lennon, S. Naughton, S. Dejarlias, M. Mizorski, P. Naughton, S. Durfee, D. Polowski, J. Mullen

By Mark Dunphy