Fine feat by Oulart
Two main titles claimed in same year
OULART-BALLAGH HWH-BUNCLODY
THE ADMIRABLE strength in depth of Oulart-The Ballagh was abundantly clear in St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy, on Tuesday when they added the EEW All-County Hurling League Division 2 title to the top flight crown won four nights earlier with a comfortable victory over a disappointing HWH-Bunclody outfit.
Their third team had lost the Division 5 decider in between, and it all adds up to present a picture of a club doing most things right in pursuit of small ball excellence.
While it wasn’t the first time for the same club to win more than one league in a calendar year, the top two grades had never been annexed in this manner before.
In terms of an achievement, it ranks right up there with the unprecedented situation 20 years ago when Rathnure beat their own second team in the Premier ‘A’ decider.
While HWH-Bunclody led by 0-8 to 0-6 at half-time, they had struck eight wides with the wind and looked a pale shadow of themselves without the considerable influence of Aidan Nolan.
Perhaps it might have been different for them if captain Colm Farrell hadn’t driven a second-minute shot over rather than under the bar, but their cause didn’t look promising at the break despite some neat points from Cathal Doyle (two), John Dunne and Eoin Kelly (two).
Adam Nolan won some vital frees for Oulart-The Ballagh as Ben O’Connor kept them in touch from placed balls, and they took the lead and never subsequently lost it inside three minutes of the re-start.
Peadar Mythen pointed before Darryl Gray and Ben O’Connor combined, with the latter placing a short pass to Cathal Kenny who blasted the ball to the net (1-7 to 0-8).
Although HWH-Bunclody twice reduced the gap to one point, they fell away rapidly after Gray challenged in the air when captain Tomás Dunne sent in a high delivery, and the ball broke to veteran Michael Jacob who slammed it to the net (2-10 to 0-11).
Oulart-The Ballagh went on to add six points without reply, and Stephen Doyle saved a penalty from Billy Kelly during that spell, before Seán Kenny pulled back a consolation goal for HWH-Bunclody in added time.
Just to underline their superiority though, the victors netted again before the end after the persistence of substitute Martin Og Storey fashioned an easy close-range finish for top scorer Ben O’Connor.
A special mention must go to Oulart-The Ballagh netminder Stephen Doyle who played in all three of the club’s league finals from Friday to Tuesday, manning the posts for the Seniors in the absence of Conor O’Leary before featuring at centre-forward in the first-half of the Junior loss to Monageer-Boolavogue.
It was also an interesting evening for HWH-Bunclody manager Kevin Kennedy who took the job on the understanding that the club couldn’t meet his native Oulart-The Ballagh in the championship as they are separated by one grade (Intermediate and Intermediate ‘A’).
The league was a different kettle of fish though.
Oulart-The Ballagh: Stephen Doyle; Seán Murphy, Ian Storey, Jack Roche; Eamon Murphy, Dennis Morton, Tomás Dunne (capt., 0-2); Cormac Finn, Peadar Mythen (0-2, 1 free); James O’Toole (0-1), Ben O’Connor (1-6, 0-4 frees), Adam Nolan; Cathal Kenny (1-1), Michael Jacob (1-3, 0-1 free), Darryl Gray. Subs. - Martin Og Storey for Gray (49), Darren Nolan (0-1) for O’Toole (49), Darragh Nimmo for S. Murphy, inj. (57), Barry Sinnott for Kenny (57).
HWH-Bunclody: Art O’Neill; Tadhg Kelly, Conor Crean, David Reck; Jason Cowman, Seán Kenny (1-1, 0-1 free), Enda Slevin; Colm Farrell (capt., 0-2), Billy Kelly (0-3, 2 ’65s); John Dunne (0-1), Eoin Kelly (0-2), Eddie Black; Cathal Doyle (0-2), Kevin Dunne, Conor Hendrick. Subs. - Eddie Dunbar for Cowman, temp. (28-HT), Dunbar for Cowman (37), John Atkinson for Hendrick (47), Joe Kavanagh for T. Kelly (59), Jamie John Murphy for Reck (60), Matty Byrne for J. Dunne (60).
Referee: John O’Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue).