Gers get vital point
GER. O’HANRAHANS OULART-BALLAGH 2-12 0-18
A GOAL with the last puck of the game earned Geraldine O’ Hanrahans the draw that they needed in the Top Oil Intermediate ‘A’ hurling championship Group B in Oylegate on Saturday.
With time almost up, centre-forward Dylan Egan found himself in space and made no mistake to rifle the ball to the net and earn his side a much-needed point and a quarter-final spot.
The opening half was a tight affair with little in the way of scoring action.
After 15 minutes the only score of the game was a point from Oulart-The Ballagh’s Michael Jacob.
During this period Geraldine O’ Hanrahans were forced into three changes due to injuries which certainly did not help their cause.
The remainder of the half saw Oulart-The Ballagh’s Adam Nolan and Cathal Kenny (two) push them further into the lead.
Dylan Egan was keeping the New Ross men in touch from placed balls, and at half-time it was 0-5 to 0-4 to the Enniscorthy District side.
Oulart-The Ballagh began to take control early in the second-half, with the experienced Peadar Mythen and Ben O’Connor hitting good points.
Midway through the second period Oulart-The Ballagh held a four-point lead thanks to another score from the impressive Mythen and a brace from Gary Murphy.
Geraldine O’Hanrahans looked in trouble at this stage but they were given a huge boost in the 48th minute when substitute Jake Byrne’s strike found the net.
Oulart-The Ballagh did not panic though, and points from Mythen and Darryl Gray meant they were ahead by three (0-16 to 1-10) with five minutes to play.
It now looked likely that Geraldine O’Hanrahans were going out, but deep into injury time Dylan Egan picked up the ball and shot to the net after a fine run to snatch a draw.
Oulart-The Ballagh will be kicking themselves as they were the better team for large parts, but the New Ross men never gave up and can now look forward to that quarter-final against Taghmon-Camross.
Meanwhile, Oulart-The Ballagh will face Tara Rocks in their last eight encounter.
Oulart-The Ballagh: Stephen Doyle; Seán Murphy, Nicholas Cullen, Jack Roche; Lar Prendergast, Niall Redmond, Darragh Nimmo; Cormac Finn, Peadar Mythen (0-6, 3 frees); Tomás Dunne, Ben O’Connor (0-3, 2 frees), Adam Nolan (0-2); Cathal Kenny (0-2), Michael Jacob (0-2), Gary Murphy (0-2). Subs. - Darryl Gray (01) for Roche, inj. (47), Craig Davitt for Prendergast (58).
Geraldine O’Hanrahans: Brandon Gardiner; Gerry Cash, Conor Cleere, Michael Cleere; Barry Kelly, Enda Kelly, Matt Crowdle; Jack Foran (01), Diarmuid Kehoe; Ned Connors (0-1), Dylan Egan (1-7, 0-6 frees, 0-1 ‘65), Eoin Kelly; Kevin Grangel, Brian Haberlin (0-1), Barry Roche. Subs. - Jake Byrne (1-1) for B. Kelly, inj. (10), Danielius Niekis for E. Kelly, inj. (11), Barry Kelly for Roche, inj. (18), Dylan Wickham (0-1) for Connors (38), Connors for Grangel (48).
Referee: Barry Redmond (Clonard). LIAM MELLOWS booked their passage to the Top Oil Intermediate ‘ A’ hurling championship quarter-finals with a workmanlike 3-9 to 0-10 victory over Gusserane in Saturday’s conclusion of Group B played at a blustery St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy.
However, with Geraldine O’Hanrahans drawing with Oulart-The Ballagh at the same time, the losers actually drop to fifth in the final standings, as the New Ross town men snatched the final quarter-final spot on the head-to-head ruling over their District rivals.
Liam Mellows have now scored at least two goals in four of their five games, and while that ability will always give them a chance in games, it was their defence that really stood out here.
Indeed, Gusserane were limited to sparse opportunities in front of goal, the best of which saw Marc Halpin get back to make a crucial block on Gavin Sheehan just as he was picking his spot.
In contrast, Liam Mellows took virtually every goal opportunity that came their way, with their first major arriving on seven minutes when Brendan Halpin caught high above his immediate marker and kicked into the dressing-room end net.
Gusserane had nice points from Mark O’Neill and Sam Wall to bring up a first-half total on 0-4, but Liam Mellows took a firm foothold on proceedings when Conor Carty gathered a break off the grounded Halpin and bounced the sliothar off the turf and to the net for a 2-7 to 0-4 lead by half-time.
While Gusserane scored three times as many points as the Mellows in the second-half, they still couldn’t handle the twin threat of Halpin and Carty inside, as the former caught well again to supply the latter, and Carty blasted past the near post despite the best thwarting efforts of Micheál Ryan. The game petered out to an inevitable conclusion thereafter, although Gusserane came close to netting consolation goals through Kevin O’Donohoe and O’Neill as their season came to a disappointing end. Meanwhile, Liam Mellows will face Shelmaliers in the last eight.
Liam Mellows: Darragh Murphy; Marc Halpin, Conor Cleary, Risteárd Kinsella; Aaron Condren, Frank Roche, Stephen Moloney; Rory Heffernan (0-1), Ross Cody; Joe Gardiner, Colin Kennedy (0-5, 3 frees, 1 ‘65), Eoin Cullen (0-1 free); Conor Carty (2-0), Richard Farrell (0-1), Brendan Halpin (1-1). Subs. - Liam Coleman for Gardiner (51), Gavin Stamp for Cody (53), Stephen Rafferty for Cullen (55), Yusuf Frih for Carty (58).
Gusserane: Micheál Ryan; Liam Dillon, Kenneth Cahill (capt.), Jack O’Connor; Adrian Redmond, Shane Cullen, Gavin Sheehan (0-1 free); Graeme Cullen, Páraic Conway; Kevin O’Donohoe (0-2), Sam Wall (0-4, 3 frees), John Roche; Mark O’Neill (02), Tommy Ryan (0-1), Eoghan Foran. Subs. - Jack Burford for Conway (37), Gary O’Grady for O’Donohoe (54), James Redmond for T. Ryan (57).
Referee: James Flood (St. Mary’s, Maudlintown).