Horeswood push on
Banville goal ended Hogues bid
HORESWOOD 1-12 BALLYHOGUE 0-8
HORESWOOD MADE it six wins from six in the Amber Springs/ Ashdown Park Hotels Intermediate football championship with a thoroughly professional win in their quarter-final clash with challengers Ballyhogue in O’Kennedy Park, New Ross, on Sunday.
Similar to Bannow-Ballymitty’s performance in the relegation final which was played before it, Horeswood used the benefit of a helpful first-half breeze to build a sizeable lead to take into the second period.
However, this didn’t appear to be likely in the early exchanges as Ballyhogue started very brightly. They scored the opening two points through Noel Roche and Dean Doyle as they looked to take the game to the well-fancied Horeswood.
Leading by two after five minutes, one wouldn’t have expected Ballyhogue not to score for the remainder of the half, but as their momentum quickly took a nosedive, Horeswood scored eight unanswered to give themselves a solid interval lead (0-8 to 0-2).
Darren Shannon’s only score got them on their way before two P.J. Banville points put the Campile men ahead.
They closed out the half even stronger as singles by Seán Nolan, David Larkin and Banville were complemented by a pair of Jamie Myler ‘45s.
Finding themselves in a hole, Ballyhogue needed a quick response from the re-start, and they got exactly that as they scored the opening four points of the new half in quick succession.
A pair of Roche frees and a ’45 from the dead-ball specialist reduced the deficit to three before James Parle handpassed between the posts, leaving just two between the sides.
But, just as they had in the first-half, Ballyhogue failed to keep their momentum going. P.J. Banville’s point in the 40th minute steadied the ship before his younger brother, Eric, crucially scored the game’s only goal as he placed behind Myles Roche from a narrow angle.
Banville’s goal was a sucker-punch for Ballyhogue which they never bounced back from. They only managed a couple more points as the end of their season came clearly into view.
Roche and Colm Parnell were the ones on target for the Bree side before Horeswood finished with three points to definitively put the game to bed.
Seán Stafford scored from the left side prior to points from Nolan and the returning Ciarán Deely – manager of the London Senior inter-county team – in the final five minutes.
These ensured Horeswood’s seven-point victory and their spot in the championship semi-final against St. Mary’s (Rosslare).
Horeswood: Conor Swaine; Kevin Parker, Barry Hearn, Seán Stafford (0-1); Eddie Shiely, Johnny Keating, David Larkin (0-1); Colin Nolan, P.J. Banville (capt., 0-4, 3 frees); Michael O’Hanlon, Jamie Myler (0-2 ’45s), Ciarán Deely (0-1); Eric Banville (1-0), Darren Shannon (0-1), Seán Nolan (02). Subs. - Leigh O’Brien for E. Banville (46), Declan Murphy for Shannon (54).
Ballyhogue: Myles Roche; Tomás Moriarty, Colm Parnell (0-1), Enda Minogue; Graham Parker, Shane Doyle, Tony Ryan; Conor Byrne, Peter Kelly; Dylan Dalton, Seán Rochford, James Parle (0-1); Dean Doyle (0-1), Eddie Galavan (capt.), Noel Roche (05, 4 frees, 1 ’45). Subs. - Shane Roche for Dalton (40), Mick Condon for D. Doyle (46), Denis Leacy for Galavan (52), Nicholas Doyle for Minogue (52).
Referee: Justin Heffernan (Blackwater).