Shels on song
Minors take Premier shield
SHELMALIERS 5-17 OULART-THE BALLAGH 1-9 A FIVE-GOAL first-half haul from a strong Shelmaliers side was always going to be too much for Oulart-The Ballagh to cope with, as the Wexford District side ran out comfortable winners in this Wexford People Minor hurling Premier shield final in a wet and windy Oylegate on Saturday.
It was evident in the early exchanges that the eventual winners meant business, hitting 1-3 in five minutes thanks to their two main marksmen: Liam Rockett, who grabbed a goal and a point, and Conor Hearne who hit two points.
Adam McRedmond and Barry Sinnott replied to leave three between them, before Rockett kept Shelmaliers just in front as a goal from Murtha Doyle had his side right back in it.
But Oulart-The Ballagh didn’t score again for 15 minutes as the eventual winners completely took over proceedings and as good as finished the game as they registered at will to put their opponents away early.
Ross Banville found the net twice along with Conor Hearne, as Dan Campbell, Rockett and Nathan Murphy added points before Sinnott finally managed a reply for Oulart-The Ballagh.
Normal service resumed however and Shelmaliers went in at the break with a 20-point lead thanks to Rockett and Hearne and a goal from Niall Hearne.
The second-half was just a case of playing the allotted time as Oulart-The Ballagh had no chance of coming back from such a deficit and Shelmaliers were happy enough to hold onto their lead without playing with the same vengeance as they had in the first-half.
Banville resumed the scoring almost immediately after the re-start before Doyle exchanged scores with Kyle Roche and Rockett, before three Oulart-The Ballagh scores were cancelled out midway through the half, with county Minor Conor Hearne capping a fine display with a point in the closing minutes.
Shelmaliers: Adam Howlin; Adam Hearne, Aaron O’Neill, Mark Power; James Doyle, Craig Power, Chris Cowman; Seán Keane-Carroll, Conor Hearne (capt., 1-5, 1-2 frees, 0-1 ’65); Nathan Ferguson-Murphy (0-1), Liam Rockett (1-6), Ross Banville (2-1); Kyle Roche (0-2), Niall Hearne (1-0), Dan Campbell (0-2). Subs. - Jamie Furlong for Murphy, Aaron Doyle for Power, Ryan Hanrahan for Banville, Thomas O’Connor for A. Hearne, Jack Watters for N. Hearne, also Adam Kelly.
Oulart-The Ballagh: Cathal Sinnott; Liam Roche, Conor Lawless, Niall Murphy; Jack Roche, Seán Murphy, Billy Dunne; Aidan Murphy, Cathal Kenny; Barry Sinnott (0-5 frees), Bradley Collier (0-1), Robbie Dunne; Daryl Gray, Murtha Doyle (capt., 1-2), Adam McRedmond (0-1). Subs. - Michael Doyle for L. Roche, Lee Hore for A. Murphy, Jack Rossiter for R. Dunne, Darragh Hayes for N. Murphy, Stephen Murphy for Doyle, also Lee O’Connor, Nathan O’Hanlon, Robert Foley, David O’Gorman, Iarla Boyce, John Roche, Daire Swords, Conor Larkin-Cooney.
Referee: John O’Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue).