Oulart sail to big victory
OULART-BALLAGH 1-23 DUFFRY ROVERS 1-11
WITH THE wind at the their backs, Oulart-The Ballagh pulled away in the second-half to record a comfortable win over Duffry Rovers in Group A of the Top Oil Intermediate hurling championship in Oylegate on Saturday.
Cathal Clince blasted a penalty to the net in first-half injury-time to put Duffry Rovers ahead for the first and only time, but a one-point lead at the break (1-9 to 0-11) never looked like it was going to be enough as they turned around to play into the elements.
Despite facing into the gale, Oulart-The Ballagh made a bright start and built up a 0-7 to 0-3 lead by the 17th minute, with Darren Nolan helping himself to three points, the accurate Ben O’Connor doing likewise from frees, and Niall Redmond also getting in on the act with a fine point.
The Duffry were mostly reliant on Cathal Clince, who scored 1-6 from placed balls in the opening period, while Cian Fitzhenry twice split the posts and Robert Frayne also chipped in with a point in the first-half.
Oulart-The Ballagh had greater scoring options and the lively Darryl Gray announced himself to the game with two nice points as his side held a strong hand, leading by 0-11 to 0-9 as the game ticked into first-half injury time.
Duffry Rovers got a boost when Clince rattled the net with a penalty with 31 minutes on the clock, but it was merely a false dawn as their opponents took complete control after the interval, limiting them to just two further points.
After Adam McRedmond had drawn them level a minute into the second-half, Oulart-The Ballagh simply put the foot down and picked off points at their ease, with Ben O’Connor continuing his accuracy from placed balls and play, and Darryl Gray, Michael Jacob, Pad Mythen and Eamon Murphy all registering nice scores.
Duffry Rovers’ misery was compounded when John Dunne was shown a red card late on, with Oulart-The Ballagh rounding off an impressive victory in style when Darryl Gray gathered following a long puck from goalkeeper Darragh Hayes and made no mistake, confidently burying the ball to the net.
Oulart-The Ballagh: Darragh Hayes; Seán Murphy, Kevin Nimmo, Kevin Sinnott; Niall Redmond (0-1), Dennis Morton (capt.), Jack Roche; Michael Jacob (0-1), Pad Mythen (02); Gary Murphy, Ben O’Connor (0-10, 7 frees), Cormac Finn (0-1); Adam McRedmond (0-1), Darren Nolan (03), Darryl Gray (1-3). Sub. - Eamon Murphy (0-1) for McRedmond (52).
Duffry Rovers: Stephen Watchorn; Craig Casey, John Dunne, Mattie O’Connor; Alan Doyle, Thomas Dunne, Colm Redmond; Cathal Clince (1-7, 0-5 frees, 1-0 pen., 0-2 ‘65s), Liam Pender; Johnny Flynn-O’Connor, Seamus Doyle, Cian Fitzhenry (0-3); Robert Frayne (0-1), Alan O’Neill (capt.), Donie O’Connor. Subs. - Joe Coleman for A. Doyle (28), Gavin Watchorn for D. O’Connor (39).
Referee: Justin Heffernan (Blackwater).