Ballyhea have no answer to rampant Liscarroll Gaels

Liscarroll/Churchtown Gaels 2-16 Ballyhea 2-6

LISCARROLL / Churchtown Gaels with a very good overall display overcame Ballyhea by a 10 point margin in the Cavanagh’s Fermoy Div 2 HL semi-final at Charleville on Saturday.

Thomas Fitzgibbon was in splendid form for the winners all through. For Ballyhea long serving goalkeeper Ollie Morrissey made some massive saves as the Churchtown forwards threatened regularly.

Daniel Curtin and Neil Ronan (free) exchanged early points. Thomas Fitzgibbon had two points with Eddie Rea keeping Ballyhea in touch with a point in the 11th minute. Shane Hedigan had a goal in the 15th minute. Thomas Fitzgibbon added three more points with Ballyhea replying through Jonathan O’Sullivan and Shaun Murphy.

In the 26th minute good play for the winners by Shane Hedigan led to a great goal by the outstanding Daniel Curtin. At half time the winners led 2-8 to 0-5.

On the resumption Thomas Fitzgibbon pointed from a free and play. Ollie Morrissey made a massive save from Shane Hedigan. By the 43rd minute the winners led 2-12 to 0-7. Good play by Shane Coleman led to a fine point by Mark Fitzpatrick.

Tim Egan and Fitzpatrick combined well for Daniel Curtin who pointed. Ollie Morrissey made a double save in the 5lst minute as the Gaels held a 2-14 to 0-7 lead. Gaels had two more points by Shane Hedigan and Thomas Fitzgibbon while two late goals by Liam Barrett and Neil Ronan gave the scoreline a respectable look in the end.

The winners now meet either Mallow or Fermoy in the final.

LISCARROLL/CHURCHTOWN GAELS: P Morrissey, D O’Brien, J O’Callaghan, P Egan, P Cantillon, T Egan, P McMahon, M Fitzpatrick 0-1, S Coleman, T Fitzgibbon 0-9 (0-6f, 0-1 ‘65’), J Breen, D Curtin 1-2, S Murphy 0-2, K Curtin 0-1, S Hedigan 1-1 Subs: D O’Brien for M Fitzpatrick, N O’Callaghan for S Murphy, J Kelly for S Coleman

BALLYHEA: O Morrissey, T J Garvey, L Barrett 1-0, L O’Shea, N Crowley, N Ronan 1-1 (0-1f), D O’Riordan, J McCarthy 0-1, T O’Sullivan, D O’Shaughnessy, J O’Sullivan 0-1, D Relihan, S Murphy 0-1, E Rea 0-1, M Mortell Subs: C Hanley for M Mortell, I Curtin 0-1 for D Relihan, M Crowley for D O’Shaughnessy, J O’Leary for L O’Shea. D Goold for S Murphy

REFEREE: Eoin Walsh (Dromina)