Thatâs a woeful trimming
Senior A Hurling Championship Round 2: Adare 1â17 Ballybrown 1-17
Referee: Jonathan Hayes
A game of two halves really in Askeaton between Adare & Ballybrown and probably no surprise that it ended a draw, although maybe Ballybrown will be annoyed that the strength of their second-half performance didnât carry them through, looked like they had all the momentum towards the end.
It started at a fast pace and there was barely a wide early on but it then started to slow with both teams sitting their centre-backs very deep, Josh Adams for Ballybrown and Ronan Connolly for Adare. Both cut out a lot of ball but Adare were starting to win a lot of the breaking ball, particularly on Ballybrown puckouts. David OâMahony, in particular, was doing a lot of good work, dropping deep from right half-forward and getting on ball. John Fitzgibbon was also getting on a lot of ball while Willie Griffin was a real threat inside.
Luke OâConnor was getting loose for Ballybrown and getting on a bit of ball, but they probably werenât getting Colin Coughlan and Aidan OâConnor on as much ball as possible. It was even enough early on but Adare got a goal and started to push on then. A long free was dropped in around the square, wasnât dealt with properly and Willie Griffin was sharpest to the break, got to it to pull to the back of the net. At that point, they had a four-point lead and they managed to open it out to six just before half-time. Willie followed it up with a great point from play; was being marked by Stevie OâReilly but showed how hard he is to mark. Ronan Connolly launched one over from distance and Mikey Mackey got one from the corner, completely free. It looked like Ballybrown were in serious bother at this point but Aido stepped up when they needed him most. Mackey had a goal chance at one end but overcarried and then, for dissent, the ball was moved forward. This allowed Ballybrown to hit the full-forward line with the free, Aido did unbelievably well to catch the ball cleanly around waist-height, spun inside and buried the ball into the bottom corner. Absolute class tbf to him. David OâMahony won another break and scored a great point from the middle of the field in response, his second of the half, but Adare hit two bad wides before the whistle, they could have gone in six-up.
And then the second half was all Ballybrown. They were the ones who started winning all the puckouts, Adare struggled to get out of their half, OâMahony was a lot less prominent and they couldnât get the same ball into Willie. Ross Griffin was brought on at half-time and he made a big impact getting on breaks, Leigh Doolin and Kenny Power got through a bit of work too. And where Adare had barely fouled at all in the first half, they started giving away frees and Andy Cliffe started picking off scores. Both Power & Doolin scored points after intercepting Adare puckouts and Cliffe started picking off frees and when they intercepted another puckout, they found Aido on the loop and he levelled the game at 1-13 apiece (making it 1-2 from play for him). From there, with just over 15 minutes to go, I thought Ballybrown were surely going to win but in fairness to Adare they responded as the rain started to bucket down. The intensity seriously rose as the conditions got wetter and slippier, and made it more enjoyable viewing tbh.
Willie scored a free and then an unbelievable point where he beat Stevie OâReilly in a 50/50 and threw it over from the wing, bringing his tally from play to 1-3. So tough to mark. Luke OâConnor and Cliffe from play levelled it again but then Ballybrown really should have scored a goal. Cliffe made an interception and the ball broke in front of him with space to run into but he had two goes at trying to pick it up with one hand on the hurley and failed both times. They ended up forcing a â65 and they took the lead, but the goal was at their mercy with Ross Kenny free inside if he had made sure of the pick-up. A similar incident happened towards the end with Luke OâConnor in the same position after being put through by Ross Griffin but, again, one hand on the hurley and chance was gone, he ran over the ball.
Mikey Kiely came on for Ballybrown and got on a load of ball but gave away the equalising free when he was adjudged to have thrown the ball. And then Mark Sheehan, under little pressure, stepped out over the endline and gave away a â65 which was nailed by John Fitz. Ballybrown had that Luke OâConnor goal chance but Ross Griffin had been fouled and they scored the free. Both sides had chances to win it; John Fitz got on a lot of ball but he was so wasteful too, I had him down for 6 misses from play which is too much, he was a bit greedy in his shot selection. Ballybrown won a few frees deep in their backline and there was a bit of controversy between the softish nature of the frees, trying to bring a new, dry ball onto the pitch and Cliffe trying to steal yards but both Cliffe & Adams dropped their frees short. Kevin Foster probably should have won it after winning the break for one of them but got blocked down, and Luke OâConnor hit a wide from the wing at the very end.
I had 14 misses for Ballybrown, 13 for Adare so, over the course of the game, a fairly even amount of chances. That didnât count those two goal chances that never arose for Ballybrown due to poor skill execution and either of them would have killed the game because Adare were struggling very badly for scores in the second half. Mike Keane was superb for Adare at full-back, great to see him back fit. Ronan Connolly was strong at 6. John Fitz was very prominent because he got on so much ball but was wasteful. David OâMahony had a great first half but faded in the second, Sam Hickey was busy but didnât actually get on the scoresheet and Willie was their man. Apparently they are expecting Hannon back and heâll add a lot if they play him in attack. For Ballybrown, Aido got 1-2 and provided the matchâs best moment of class but maybe they could have got him more involved. Coughlan won a lot of puckouts in the second half but, again, maybe they could have got him on more ball. Josh Adams hurled a lot from 6 but maybe was wasteful at times. Ross Griffin and Leigh Doolin were busy, Luke OâConnor is a floaty type and got 0-3 from play and Cliffe showed good hands in the second half. Mikey Kiely did make a big impact when he came on too, won a lot of those frees at the end.
Both now on 3 points, level with Mungret at the top of the group. They will be the two favourites to progress to the quarter-final, but will now likely be score difference to gain promotion unless one of them slips up elsewhere.
Adare 1-17
Willie Griffin 1-8 (0-5 frees); 1 free short
John Fitzgibbon 0-4 (0-2 frees, 0-1 â65); 4 wides, 2 short
David OâMahony 0-2; 1 short
Brendan OâConnor 0-1
Ronan Connolly 0-1
Mike Mackey 0-1
Davy Lyons 1 wide
John McSweeney 1 wide
Joe Sweeney 2 wides
Sam Hickey 1 wide
Ballybrown 1-17
Andrew Cliffe 0-6 (0-4 frees, 0-1 â65); 1 free wide, 1 free short, 1 wide play, 1 shot saved
Aidan OâConnor 1-2; 1 wide
Luke OâConnor 0-3; 1 wide
Leigh Doolin 0-2
Barry OâConnor 0-1
Colin Coughlan 0-1; 2 wides
Barry Adams 0-1
Kenny Power 0-1; 2 wides
Josh Adams 1 short play, 1 short free
Ross Griffin 1 wide
Kevin Foster 1 short
14 Likes
Theyâve fallen a long way since the days of Canon Willie and the brother. Even in the mid 90s days of Don Flynn they were still senior.
They won it in 1980 was it, and lost another final around then too?
You lost me hereâŚ
2 Likes
Yep won in 80 and were beaten the following year I thinkâŚâŚ
Once Kantoher Co-Op closed in the late 90s, it effected them badly. Had brought a lot of hurlers into the parish originally.
Looking like F/K will win group 3 in the junior which means they will play runners up in group 4. Looking like cud be doon after losing to db last week, doon knocking them out last 2 years be an interesting QF
Full time in Fedamore in Junior A.
Castletown-Ballyagran 0-21 St Pats 1-19
A brilliant advertisement for the box office junior A championship.
Report to followâŚ.
5 Likes
Wow thatâs a huge turn around for Pats from last week.
1 Like
Much improved performance from Askeaton today. A loss and it was all over so it was badly needed. Still will probably need to win all their remaining matches with a tough outing against high flying Kilteely next up I think after the break. Makes the loss last week all the more annoying really. Should be two from two and sitting pretty with a bit of wiggle room.
Went in three down at half time but against the breeze not playing fantastically but keeping in touch.
As the scoreline suggests it was a loose enough game.
Kieran Flaherty reffed it and was unbelievably strict on over carrying. At one stage he gave Askeaton a free for the Well lad taking about 6 steps while one of our lads was holding his hurley. He generally liked to give frees in pairs. One for each side for overcarrying in the space a few minutes. It was basically impossible to go into a tackle as you would concede a free. He was the same for both sides though. Frees galore.
But we have Willie on the frees and he was on fire. I havenât seen him motoring like that since before he did the cruciate. He is a joy to watch in full flight. 2-4 from play and the two goals were absolutely top drawer. The second one wasnât even a goal chance. On the 21 at an angle and just drilled it into the net.
A sloppy goal looked to give the Well a lifeline when they should have been buried but we reacted well and finished them comfortably for a finish.
Oisin OâFarrell chipped in nicely as well with 4 points from play.
We arenât the most balanced team but with the two lads motoring we will give anyone a game.
The well were poor enough in truth. Found it very hard to break us down. But that was a credit to our defence as well. Theyâve have given us some right trimmings the last few years so no harm to turn the tables on them.
Beat Kilteely and we are right in it, but that fucking loss the first day will be haunting us to the end.
Weâve hardly won a game the last few years so good to get up and running and to still be in contention going into the break. Because they would just forget it and focus on the football otherwise.
6 Likes
Alot of female teams have ditched the white togsâŚ
Ahane beat Christians. Week3 will be epic
The Irish soccer players stayed in white togs.
They knew they wouldnât last the month in Australia.
4 Likes
Offfffftt
Woodlands House Hotel Junior A Hurling
Castletown Ballyagran 0-21 St Patrickâs 1-19
On a perfect evening for hurling in Fedamore, with little or no breeze, St Pats and Ballyagran served up highly entertaining fare. St Patâs dominated the scoreboard for the first quarter of an hour, leading 0-6 to 0-3 after 16 minutes. This was in spite of C/B having more of the general play. For Patâs, Shane Cross at 10 was giving C/Bâs #2 Richard Walsh a difficult time, scoring 0-2 from play and winning some important frees. From there on in to the half time whistle, Ballyagran took over. Cian McNamara at 12 was the star man for them, Patâs just couldnât cope with his direct running and ball winning capabilities. He contributed 0-3 from play in the opening half, and was fouled for another 0-4, all converted by C/Bâs corner forward, Mark Riordan, who himself also contributed 0-2 from play in that half. In fact, such was the chaos that McNamara caused Pats, they tried three different markers on him - Adam McNamara, Kevin Maher and Pa Mullins, Mullins eventually being yellow carded for persistent fouling on the aforementioned McNamara.
Harry Dore at 6 for CB was having a great battle with Diarmuid Hegarty, who notched 0-4 (1 free) in that opening period. One point in particular on 25 minutes, featured a pass of telepathic proportions from his brother Gearoid, as the younger Hegarty caught it low, spun, and over the shoulder from 70 yards out hit it straight between the posts. A point from play by Ballyagran midfielder Jack Walsh saw the men from the south take a deserved 0-12 to 0-9 lead into the break.
The contrast in styles of the two teams was conspicuous. Ballyagran favoured working the ball up, not quite in âLimerick trianglesâ, but short passing was favoured. When it worked, we saw some lovely interplay between between CB half forwards Cian McNamara and Ger Barry. By contrast, Patâs often favoured eary deliveries from their half back line into the forwards. It worked early on, until CB defence grew wise to it.
Ballyagran continued on in the same vein for the third quarter, with Mark Riordan hitting another couple of points from play to compliment being error-free from dead balls, sub David Riordan also hitting a monster of a point. Baby Hego was keeping the Rhebogue men in touch from frees, as Ballyagran led 0-18 to 0-12 after 42 minutes. Patâs had started to gain the upper hand as Gearoid Hegarty and fellow wingbacks Adam McNamara and Sean Mortell squeezed up on the middle third, yet for all the chances Pats were creating, they werenât impacting the score board, hitting 8 wides in that second half, and 13 wides in total. It took a brace of points from Gearoid Hegarty and Kyle Mullins to really throw the cat among the pidgeons, as the gap was now down to two points. Another Mullins point made it 0-18 to 0-17 on 61 minutes. Dave Riordan responded yet again for C/B with another important point from play.
And then came the goal. In the 54th minute, a rather casually low hit free from Baby Hego on the half way line, caused some trouble for the youthful Ballyagran custodian Conor Dowling, who elected to bat the sliothar out, rather than deflect it over for a point. Unfortunately for Dowling, he diverted it straight into the path of Patrickâs sub Blake Campbell, who finished emphatically to the net from 8 yards out. Pats now lead for the first time since the 20th minute and their supporters came alive. If the goal was the key score of the game, then the save of the game was Gearoid Hegartyâs magnificent take down of a Dave Riordan free that seemed to be heading over the crossbar, before the All Star manâs goal-line intervention. Not to be denied, Riordan nailed his next effort from out on the left, to tie it up 1-18 to 0-21 with time now elapsed.
Patâs were to have the final say though. Diarmuid Hegarty received a pass from his half back line, took on three Ballyagran backs, and after a little ball juggling and under severe pressure from Harry Dore and Cillian Cotter, unleashed a perfect shot from the 45â that sailed just over the bar. It was a score good enough to win any game.
Castletown/Ballyagran will probably feel like they left this one behind them. They did more than enough to win the game, but seemed to lack the stamina/fitness of their city counterparts in the final quarter. With the exception of David Riordan, the subs they introduced didnât have the same impact as Patâs bench. The Hegarty brothers came alive - Diarmuid notching 0-9 in total (0-5 f) and Gearoid 0-2. Patâs full forward line, Kyle Mullins, Eoin Hill and sub Kieran Murphy in particular, started to win ball and important frees. The trio contributed 0-4 between them when the game was in the balance. As is the common clichĂŠ, this was a great game to win, but a horrible one to lose. A draw wouldnât have been unfair to either. Full credit to Patâs though for the strong finish down the home front, when the game seemed to be drifting away from them.
MOTM: Mark Riordan (Castletown-Ballyagran)
Despite ending up on the losing side, Riordan was top scorer on the night with 0-12 (0-8 f). He was blemish free from dead balls and was a constant threat to Patâs defence with his movement, hitting 0-2 from play in each half.
15 Likes
Won 1980. We beat them in one of the three in a row years, 74 or 75.
Libetties beat us in 81 after a replay
Serious report, thanks for that.
Sounds like another cracker in the Junior Championship. Really opens that group up now; favours F/K but you wouldnât bet against them being caughtby one of the teams theyâve yet to play.
1 Like
Sorry, my bad. Killeedy were beaten in finals in 73, 76 & 77, by Kilmallock, Liberties and the Well respectively.
1 Like
Kileedy are no bad side, so for FK to best them like that is some going.
The fear for FK is this isnât the first time they on paper are flying only for their year to fall apart quickly.
That is some win for them though. Maybe a statement of intent