Mellows make it to final four
Shels seconds swept aside
LIAM MELLOWS SHELMALIERS
LIAM MELLOWS’ fine campaign will run for a further two weeks at least after a solid second-half display saw them win through to the last four of the Top Oil Intermediate ‘A’ hurling championship after a 1-19 to 1-8 victory over the Shelmaliers second string in Saturday’s quarter-final at overcast Camolin.
The north county men had scored at least two goals in four of their five group games, but didn’t necessarily have to embark down a similar avenue this time, as they put a nervy start behind them to gradually take over in most segments of the field.
Conor Cleary was the foundation upon which most of Shelmaliers’ attacking moves floundered. Ross Cody and particularly Rory Heffernan brought energy and a touch of class to midfield, while Richard Farrell was a menacing threat up front when flighting over five points from play.
They survived some early Shelmaliers pressure as Kyle Roche opened the scoring after a minute, and he also cut loose before firing low to the net on twelve minutes to make it 1-4 to 0-3.
But that was as good as it got as far as the Over The Water side were concerned, as they only registered four more points before the end, although it may have been an entirely different story had they came out the right end of the game’s most pivotal moment.
They led by 1-6 to 0-8 on 33 minutes when Roche was bundled over for a penalty, but Michael Feeney dragged his shot wide of the post.
Instead of going four points down, Farrell soon equalised at the other end, and all the momentum was with Liam Mellows. They accounted for six of the next seven points, including two each from Farrell and Eoin Cullen (frees), and when Heffernan played an exquisite pass into Brendan Halpin, he set up Colin Kennedy for a simple goal to swell the advantage to 1-15 to 1-7.
Feeney’s shot at goal was always rising as he settled for a point, but four more points from Liam Mellows saw them advance to the semi-final in impressive fashion.
In truth, the interval came at the wrong time for the eventual victors as they were finding their feet, with Kennedy and a languid effort from Heffernan pulling them within 1-6 to 0-8 by then.
Liam Mellows: Darragh Murphy; Marc Halpin, Frank Roche, Conor Cleary; Stephen Moloney, Danny Gardiner, Aaron Condren; Ross Cody, Ross Heffernan (0-1); Joe Gardiner (0-2), Colin Kennedy (1-5, 0-1 free), Eoin Cullen (0-5, 4 frees); Conor Carty, Richard Farrell (0-5), Brendan Halpin (0-1). Subs. - Gavin Stamp for Carty (52), Stephen Rafferty for Farrell (57), Yusuf Frih for Cullen (60+1).
Shelmaliers: Jack Watters; Graham Staples, Aaron O’Neill, Adam Hearne; Aaron Doyle, Chris Cowman, Johnny Campbell (0-1); Liam Rockett, Dan Campbell; Willie O’Shaughnessy, Denis Kelly, Ryan Hanrahan; Kyle Roche (1-1), Páraic O’Leary, Michael Feeney (0-5, 3 frees). Subs. - Aodhán Foley (0-1) for O’Leary (HT), Stephen Whelan for Feeney (56), Joe Redmond for Hearne (58), Mark Power for Doyle (60+1).
Referee: Joe Kelly (Naomh Eanna). DUFFRY ROVERS overcame the stiffest of contests imaginable as they came from behind in extra-time to eventually see off a rousing Ballygarrett challenge in this hugely entertaining Top Oil Intermediate ‘A’ hurling championship quarter-final in Blackwater on Saturday.
In extraordinary fashion, the Duffry got the perfect start thanks to two early goals from Gavin Watchorn and Alan O’Neill, and with O’Neill, Robert Frayne and Liam Pender in fine form, they held an eight-point lead after ten minutes.
Despite the gap, Ballygarrett were actually matching their opponents in most areas of the field and began to chip away at the lead, with Stephen Redmond, Pat Naughter and Jack Hobbs finding the range between periods of play that were packed with real championship bite.
The eventual winners held a five-point advantage at the break after Jack Hobbs swapped scores with Liam Pender and Robert Frayne.
One sensed that Ballygarrett had not yet produced their best, and they came flying into the action in convincing style in an even more lively second period.
After Liam Pender pointed a free two minutes after the resumption, his side didn’t score again for 21 minutes as Ballygarrett completely dominated proceedings with an inspiring performance.
Stephen Redmond and Pat Naughter were getting through Trojan work around the middle, but the real star of the show was Jack Hobbs who hit 1-4 in eleven minutes, including three deadly-accurate frees, to put his side one ahead as the third quarter closed in.
Colm Kennelly made it a twopoint game with ten minutes remaining with a superb long-range effort, and it looked like the Duffry’s year might be over.
But, after a long delivery hit the crossbar, Johnny Flynn-O’Connor was on had to finish to the net to swing things in their favour.
Hobbs replied with two frees before Liam Pender hit a free at the death to level matters at 1-14 to 3-8.
Hobbs hit two quick points in the first period of extra-time, leaving the Duffry with it all to do as the second period began.
But they put in a savage ten-minute performance and, with Alan O’Neill, Liam Pender and Johnny Flynn-O’Connor all finding the range, they secured the win in a manner that will surely stand to them as they go into the last four.
Duffry Rovers: Stephen Watchorn; James Nolan, Craig Casey, Donie Doyle; Cathal Clince (0-1 free), Matthew O’Connor, Liam Pender (0-5 frees); Johnny Flynn-O’Connor (1-2), Donie O’Connor; Cian Fitzhenry, Robert Frayne (0-2), Joe Coleman; Gavin Watchorn (1-0), Thomas Dunne, Alan O’Neill (1-3). Subs. - Eamonn Doyle for Coleman (53), Colm Redmond for T. Dunne (60), Feargal Kenny for G. Watchorn (69).
Ballygarrett: Shane Quinn; Eddie Redmond, Seamus Doyle, Tom Sinnott; Brian O’Connor, Darren Morris, Colm Kennelly (0-1); Seán O’Brien, Stephen Redmond (0-3, 1 free); Cormac Moore, Patrick Naughter (0-1), Jimmy Murphy; Eoin Corcoran, Jack Hobbs (1-12, 0-7 frees), Killian Doyle. Subs. - Brendan Corcoran for E. Corcoran (40), John Doyle for O’Brien (58), Adam Fleming for Murphy (60), Evan Dunbar for K. Doyle (60).
Referee: Justin Heffernan (Blackwater).