Luck favours Ballygarrett in narrow win
BALLYGARRETT NAOMH BRID (CARLOW) 3-9 1-12
BALLYGARRETT CAN look forward to the semi-finals of the AIB Leinster Club Junior hurling championship, but they had more than their fare share of luck in just about edging Carlow Intermediate champions Naomh Bríd by 3-9 to 1-12 in Saturday’s tie at a wet Netwatch Carlow G.A.A. Training Centre in Fenagh.
Trailing by 1-8 to 1-6 early in the second-half, having only managed one score from play by that stage, the seasiders turned the game on its head on 33 minutes in fortunate circumstances to earn a clash with Cullion of Westmeath.
John Doyle’s attempt at the posts from the right wing came back into play off the framework, and in Eddie Kane’s efforts to shield Jack Hobbs from pouncing on the rebound, the ball appeared to ricoochet goalwards off the full-back, with an alert umpire quick to judge that it had crossed the line.
But the newly-crowned Intermediate ‘A’ hurling champions didn’t inmediately build on that stroke of good fortune as Naomh Bríd’s marksman, Aaron Amond, scored his seventh free soon after, and also off-loaded to Michael Cowman to point nicely off the right wing to make it 1-10 to 2-6 after 37 minutes.
Hobbs levelled again with another free, and when Amond was blown for an over-carrying offence close to goal, substitute Jimmy Murphy engineered a free at the other end which Hobbs duly converted to give Ballygarrett their second lead with eleven minutes to go (2-8 to 1-10).
The Carlow representatives struck back again through Niall Roche after a slow buildup, and we looked set for a tense finish when Brendan Corcoran pointed excellently on the run from the right wing to leave the minimum between the sides yet again.
However, fate favoured Ballygarrett one last time when Murphy’s shot from out the field dropped short, but goalkeeper Darren Kavanagh inadvertedly steered the ball into his own net as he tried to control it on his hurl.
Amond had one last chance to cut the gap back down to one from a close-in free but, with the goalmouth populated by almost the entire Ballygarrett team, he had no choice but to take his point as the full-time whistle sounded with the Wexford men hanging on.
Hobbs and Amond amassed 1-12 between them in a tight first-half, with the latter drawing first blood when he was fouled in the square and planted the penalty to the top corner.
He found himself goal-side of his marker again in the next attack, but this time scooped over for a point as Naomh Bríd opened up a 1-1 to nil lead early on.
Hobbs hit the first five points for his side, including a neat sideline cut on 20 minutes, while John Doyle’s crossfield pass located Eoin Corcoran for a well-taken goal as they trailed by 1-8 to 1-5 at half-time before narrowly squeaking through in the end.
Ballygarrett: Aaron Hall; Eddie Redmond, Seamus Doyle, Aidan Murphy; Brendan Corcoran (0-1), Stephen Redmond (capt.), Colm Kennelly; Darren Morris, Tom Sinnott; Cormac Moore-Kavanagh, Patrick Naughter, Eoin Corcoran (1-0); Killian Doyle, Jack Hobbs (0-8, 7 frees, 1 line ball), John Doyle. Subs. - Jimmy Murphy (1-0) for E. Redmond (44), Johnny Sinnott for K. Doyle (54), Adam Fleming for Kennelly (56), Harry Byrne for S. Doyle (58), Seán O’Brien for Naughter (60+2).
Naomh Bríd: Darren Kavanagh; Caoimhín Ryan, Eddie Kane (own goal), Andy Mullaney; Tommy Dunne, Seán Watchorn, Adam Dunne (0-1); Niall Roche (0-1), Pádraic Coughlan; Michael Cowman (0-1), Michael Bambrick, James Kehoe; Cathal Coughlan, Mark Brennan, Aaron Amond (capt., 1-9, 0-8 frees, 1-0 pen.). Subs. - Ayrton Gleeson for Kehoe (27), Seamus Cahill for Ryan (34), Gary Dunne for Cowman (46), Eanna Holland for Brennan (58).
Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).