Mary’s take their points

ST MARY’S (R’LARE) 0-23 BUFFERS ALLEY 2-7

ST. MARY’S ROSSLARE were content at taking their points as they eased into the Permanent TSB Junior hurling championship semi-finals with a routine 0-23 to 2-7 victory over Buffers Alley’s second-string in Sunday afternoon’s quarter-final played at a windy Farmleigh Park.

Buffers Alley’s tried and trusted policy of route-one ball into John Moran yielded immediate dividends when he diverted to the net after only 40 seconds, and he also made his presence felt soon after when he fired just over to St. Mary’s relief.

But the seasiders reaped their own reward with direct ball into their full-forward line, as it invariably led to the concession of frees that were consistently converted by Lee Devereux.

He had seven frees to his name alone before the break, while enterprising captain Robert Butler landed a couple of beautiful efforts from either flank to help St. Mary’s into a 0-11 to 1-4 half-time advanstage.

Butler resumed his ways with the first score after the restart, before Jim Hughes shipped a nasty blow in the process of replying for the Alley, which led to the dismissal of Conal Grant on a straight red card.

But that was the only sour note to what was an otherwise comfortable afternoon’s work for the winners’, as Tiernan Rossiter picked off three long-range points, while Ultan Quirke became his side’s outright top-scorer from play with a brace before the end of the game to bring his personal tally to 0-5.

Buffers Alley had a late goal from Keith Burke when his free appeared to sail all the way to the net with Moran lurking, but St. Mary’s passage had already been sealed long before then.

St. Mary’s Rosslare: Niall Walsh; Conal Grant, Conor Cafferkey, Stephen Cogley; Ned Power, David Murphy, Larry Morrissey; Naomhan Rossiter, Tiernan Rossiter (0-4); Robert Butler (capt, 0-3), Andrew Murphy, Paul Kinsella; Lee Devereux (0-11, nine frees), Ultan Quirke (0-5), Philip Lambert. Subs: Andy Cummins for A. Murphy, Daire Heffernan for Lambert, Peter Carr for Power, Jason Ellard for Devereux, Ian Kennedy for Kinsella.

Buffers Alley: Tony Doran; Paudie Kinsella, Alan Doyle, Colm Óg Doran; Gearoid O’Connor, Thomas Dempsey, Matty Cardiff; Aaron Redmond, Jim Hughes (0-3, one free); Paul Doran, Keith Burke (1-1, 1-0 free), Walter Gahan; John Furlong, John Moran (1-2), Jack Butler. Subs: Kevin O’Leary (0-1) for Kinsella, Lorcan Pendergast for Gahan, Laurence Gahan for P. Doran.

Referee: Mick Lanigan (Shelmaliers).