Over The Water men book last eight place
CROSSABEG-B’MURN 3-17 HWH-BUNCLODY 1-16 CROSSABEG-BALLYMURN became the first side to book their quarter-final place in The Courtyard Ferns Intermediate hurling championship with a strong performance and fully-deserved Group B victory over HWH-Bunclody in Bellefield on Saturday.
The table-toppers fell to a surprise defeat in the league final against Craanford a couple of weeks ago but showed no ill-effects of that loss as they notched 20 scores, 15 of which came from play, in a controlled performance against a previously unbeaten team.
Overall there was, once again, plenty to like about Crossabeg-Ballymurn.
Their forwards all registered from play and won individual battles continuously. They defended well and on another day might not have conceded as many frees.
But their biggest secret surely lies in their strength in depth. There’s not a side in the Intermediate championship which has as many weapons off the bench; to have a guy like Shane O’Rourke to come on and nab a trio of scores in no time is a luxury most clubs could only dream of having.
HWH-Bunclody had their only lead when their best player, Seán Kenny, opened the scoring.
It was 0-3 each after 15 minutes when Pádraig Foley’s long ball to the edge of the square was hauled in by David Jackman and dispatched past John Byrne in goal.
Billy Kelly converted five frees in the opening half but it wasn’t enough to give his side a lead at the break. Instead, the Wexford District club ended the half with a 1-8 to 0-7 advantage, helped by three points from Barry Murphy and a brace from Bill Eviston.
HWH-Bunclody had cut the deficit to just two early in the second period when Seamus Carroll’s ball into the channel was fed across goal by Tony Murphy to the gleeful Barry Murphy and the Crossabeg-Ballymurn man pulled to the net.
In truth, it completely knocked the stuffing out of their opponents.
There was time for a little late goalmouth drama, with Eviston’s goal for Crossabeg-Ballymurn cancelled out by Kevin Dunne’s late rocket, but HWH-Bunclody ended with just seven of their 17 scores coming from play and therein lay their problem.
While Crossabeg-Ballymurn are assured of safe passage into the last eight, HWH-Bunclody will join them with a win in either of their last two fixtures against Craanford or Oylegate-Glenbrien, with the latter game on Saturday week.
Crossabeg-Ballymurn: Mark Dempsey; David Kehoe, Billy Roche, Matthew Sludds; Ronan Devereux, Pádraig Foley, Alan Byrne; Barry Murphy (1-5, 0-4 frees), Seamus Carroll; Oisín Foley (0-1), Sam Kelly (0-1), Bill Eviston (1-2); David Jackman (1-0), Tony Murphy (0-1), Niall Murphy (0-4, 1 free). Subs. - Shane O’Rourke (0-3) for Jackman (51), Cormac O’Rourke for Byrne (53), David Murphy for B. Murphy (57), Conor Devereux for Eviston (59), Eoin McDonald for T. Murphy (60).
HWH-Bunclody: John Byrne; Conor Hendrick, Enda Slevin, Barry Kehoe; Thomas O’Neill, Conor Kinsella, James Moorhead; Colm Farrell, Billy Kelly (0-8 frees); Bryan O’Hara (0-1), Seán Kenny (0-5, 2 frees), Peter Atkinson (0-2); Jason Cowman, Eoin Kelly, David Reck. Subs. - Kevin Dunne (1-0) for Reck (50), Páuric Sinnott for E. Kelly (50).
Referee: hogue). Brendan Martin (Bally-