THEY WERE TWO rookies yesterday morning preparing for their Munster senior hurling debuts but by the close of action in Thurles last evening, Alan Cadogan and Austin Gleeson were the main players in the spotlight.
Cork and Waterford both saw their young attackers star with Cadogan, 21 since May 17th, winning the man-of-the-match award on The Sunday Game last night while Gleeson, 19 next month, was nominated for the same honour and struck a goal of the season contender.
Here’s a closer look at how the duo made their mark on the senior stage.
Alan Cadogan
During the league Cadogan showed serious potential despite the U21 football campaign interrupting his senior hurling involvement. He only played one full game – against Laois in February – and had four other substitute appearances. But he struck 0-8 between the games against Limerick, Laois and Wexford.
Then yesterday Cadogan made a sensational debut in hitting 0-4 from play – two in either half – and also being fouled four times for frees that Patrick Horgan converted.
Even when he spurned a goal chance in the 55th minute, albeit Waterford goalkeeper Stephen O’Keeffe rushed out excellently to tip the ball away, Cork still got a point courtesy of Horgan from the resultant ’65. Being directly involved in 0-9 represented a strong input by Cadogan.
There was a familiar pattern to his points. TheScore.ie columnist John Gardiner drew parallels to Joe Deane earlier today and there was plenty evidence of that style. Cadogan’s points in the 2nd and 39th minutes saw him show the alertness to race in front of his marker Barry Coughlan, another debutant, spin away and pop over scores off his left.
His quick reactions saw him seize on the ball after a block by Seamus Harnedy before pointing in the 27th minute and his exquisite 58th minute effort from the left sideline – after good combination work with Stephen Moylan – was the pick of the bunch.
Cadogan gave Coughlan a torrid time and with the Ballygunner playing having been booked, it was little surprise to see him withdrawn in the 41st minute as Shane Fives came on. At that stage Cadogan had struck 0-3 and been fouled for three frees by Coughlan. The Douglas player showed notable skill and intelligence in first-half injury-time to rise in a crowd with his hurley, flick the ball down for himself before then being halted by Coughlan.
It was interesting to note how Cadogan linked up with Cork centre-back Mark Ellis. Four deliveries from Ellis resulted in either Cadogan pointing or being fouled for converted frees. Angled balls despatched to the right corner generally worked out well for Cork.
In the opening period Cadogan was peripheral, starved of possession that saw him only on the ball twice in the opening 26 minutes of the match. He did miss a clearcut point chance off his right in the second-half and was foiled by O’Keeffe for that goal.
But he never stopped being an outlet for possession and Jimmy Barry-Murphy believed there was ‘no doubt’ that Cadogan should have been also awarded a free at the death after being flattened by Fives. It was a superb opening day out and augurs well for his future career.
Austin Gleeson
Gleeson was fast-tracked on to the senior squad this year on the back of starring at centre-back on last year’s Waterford All-Ireland minor winning team. He only featured twice during the league – substituted in the second-half against Kilkenny and Dublin – before being pitched in from the start yesterday.
He finished the game with 1-2 and that wondrous 44th minute goal thrust Gleeson firmly into the spotlight. He intercepted Aidan Walsh’s sideline cut 65 yards out, brushed off the subsequent tackle from Walsh, escaped Christopher Joyce and reached the 45-yard line. Here Gleeson benefited from the angles of running of his teammates. Colin Dunford brought Stephen McDonnell out of the equation while Shane Walsh distracted Mark Ellis and Damien Cahalane.
When the gap opened, Gleeson raced through it. By the time he closed in on goal there were five Cork players desperately trying to get back to him but he had the space to release a super left-hand shot across Anthony Nash.
It was a splendid score in its audacity and execution. Three years ago Conor McGrath hit a stunning goal early on in his senior championship debut for Clare and this ranked just as high in terms of opening day salvos.
From the off Gleeson was in the thick of the action. He started at left half-forward but was constantly moving around as he popped up on the opposite right wing on occasion and funneled back to aid his defence. He worked ferociously hard. In the first-half alone he flicked the ball away from Aidan Walsh, produced a double block on Patrick Cronin and helped Waterford swarm Christopher Joyce before forcing him over the sideline.
He struck two points as well, a beautiful sideline cut in the 30th minute as the ball arced from left to right and a fine score at the close of the half that saw him fetch ahead of Damien Cahalane before dodging Shane O’Neill to score.
The one failing in Gleeson’s opening period display was his shot selection. He was wide from two other sideline cut efforts while he had four other speculative shots with two tailing wide and two falling short to the waiting Anthony Nash.
But his involvement in the action was relentless and he never seemed perturbed by any setbacks. His goal lit up the second-half action and he also won a free that was converted five minutes after that.
Gleeson’s involvement was restricted in the closing stages. He went down injured in the 59th minute but with Waterford having made five changes, Gleeson had to stay on. The enthusiasm that saw him booked in the 41st minute manifested itself again in a telling fashion at the death. That foul on Nash after the ball had been cleared led to the free that Horgan levelled the game.
Gleeson still excelled on his debut and manager Derek McGrath rightly lauded him after.
“It’s great but I’ve seen him do it at schools’ level. We’re delighted for him. He’s a very level-headed young-fella with a lovely family behind him.”
