Roche scores a late leveller
Gusserane and Oulart draw
GUSSERANE 1-19 OULART-BALLAGH 3-13
A JOHN Roche point almost five minutes into injury time ensured Gusserane secured a dramatic 1-19 to 3-13 draw with Oulart-The Ballagh in Sunday’s enthralling Top Oil Intermediate ‘A’ hurling championship Group B tie in St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy.
The New Ross District men had led by as much as six points with 13 minutes left on the clock, but they were almost reeled in by a strong-finishing Oulart-The Ballagh outfit.
Indeed, just when experienced heads were required, Michael Jacob and Ben O’Connor stepped up to the mark, raising a green flag apiece as they somehow managed to hold the lead deep into injury time before Roche struck for that leveller.
Jacob lurked under the breaking ball before slapping to the net on 50 minutes, but there were strong claims for a square ball from Gusserane connections when O’Connor goaled in mid-air seven minutes later (3-12 to 1-18).
Some unselfish hold-up play from Adam Nolan then supplied Peadar Mythen to find the range to give Oulart-The Ballagh their second lead, but substitute Tom Foran was the creator at the other end to set up Roche for that late intervention.
Gusserane had looked the more likely winners for the majority of the game, as the accurate free-taking of Sam Wall and the brilliance of Gavin Sheehan had helped them hold sway by 1-11 to 1-6 at the interval.
Roche, Gary O’Grady and Kevin O’Donohoe all added clever points from play in the first quarter, although Oulart-The Ballagh briefly went ahead when Cathal Kenny utilised his football skills to kick home a brilliant goal on 21 minutes (1-5 to 0-7).
But Roche and Wall restored Gusserane’s advantage, and when the rampant Sheehan caught a puck-out and made inroads towards the dressing-room end goal, he crashed to the net to open up that five-point gap at the break.
The sides shared the next eight points evenly on the re-start, while Sheehan’s midfield partner, Adrian Redmond, opened up a 1-17 to 1-11 lead by the fourth quarter.
But they were outscored by 2-2 to 0-2 thereafter as a determined Oulart-The Ballagh came so close to nicking it.
Gusserane: Micheál Ryan; Eoghan Foran, Kenneth Cahill (capt.), Jack O’Connor; Páraic Conway, Liam Dillon, Tommy Ryan; Adrian Redmond (0-2), Gavin Sheehan (1-3); Gary O’Grady (0-2), John Roche (0-3), Mark O’Neill; Kevin O’Donohoe (0-2), Sam Wall (0-7, 6 frees), Jack Culleton. Subs. - Martin Fitzharris for Culleton (17), Tom Foran for O’Donohoe (44).
Oulart-The Ballagh: James O’Toole; Seán Murphy, Nicholas Cullen, Jack Roche; Darragh Nimmo, Niall Redmond, Tomás Dunne; Cormac Finn (0-1), Peadar Mythen (0-2); Cathal Kenny (1-0), Ben O’Connor (capt., 1-6, 0-3 frees), Adam Nolan (0-2); Darren Nolan, Michael Jacob (1-2), Darryl Gray. Sub. - Gary Murphy for Gray (42).
Referee: James Flood (St. Mary’s, Maudlintown).