Relegation looms large for Ballyhea

Ballymartle 5-13 Ballyhea 0-20

IT’S to Ballyhea’s credit that they managed to make a fight of it after leaking four goals in the first of the county SHC Round 2 clash with Ballymartle at Mallow last Sunday.

They never looked capable of erasing an eleven-point interval deficit, however, due to a lack of a goal-threat up front where only seasoned stalwart Maurice O’Sullivan performed admirably.

While Pa O’Callaghan, not for the first time, emerged as Ballyhea’s top marksman, he was generally kept on a tight rein by Ballymartle’s tenacious defender Eoin Healy, as his return of just two points from play illustrates.

O’Callaghan’s containment was an obvious blow to Ballyhea’s prospects, but, in the final analysis, it was their shortcomings at the back before the break that primarily proved their undoing.

The North-Cork men started promisingly enough, with Maurice O’Sullivan on target from play before placing Pa O’Callaghan for another point, as the sides shared six scores during the opening eight minutes.

They suffered a double bodyblow in the 9th minute, however, when Jamie Dwyer goaled for Ballymartle, following good work by Brian Corry and Jack Dwyer, and Darren McCarthy quickly fired in another after full-forward Patrick Dwyer had knocked a Barry Dwyer delivery into his path.

That was the signal for the Ballymartle forwards to click into top gear, so much so that there wasn’t a single Ballyhea defender who had the measure of his opponent for the rest of the first half.

Ballymartle had stretched the gap to nine points, 2-6 to 0-3, by the 18th minute, and, carving out the openings virtually at will, they grabbed two more goals in the second quarter, courtesy of Brian Corry and Barry Dwyer.

Thanks primarily to Pa O’Callaghan’s accuracy from placed balls, Ballyhea kept their hopes flickering, but Ballymartle could have been out of sight at half-time had Patrick Dwyer and Jamie Dwyer made the most of two further goal-chances.

Ballyhea ‘keeper Mikey Browne denied Patrick Dwyer with a fine save in the 10th minute, while Jamie Dwyer shot narrowly wide with a golden opportunity nearing half-time.

As it was, Ballymartle turned over leading by 4-8 to 0-9, and it seemed as if Ballyhea, given their problems in all sectors, would be battling for mere respectability in the second half.

They achieved that much at least, as they tightened up in defence where they benefited from bringing midfielder Jamie Copps, who chipped in with a superb point, to corner back, while the decision to move wing-back Liam O’Connor to the pivotal position in a switch with Barry Coleman also paid off.

John Morrissey, ably assisted by substitute Dean Copps, made his presence felt at midfield as Ballyhea made the early running on the resumption, bagging four points on-the-trot before Brian Corry broke Ballymartle’s second half duck in the 42nd minute.

Maybe Ballymartle were guilty of resting on their laurels to a certain extent, but, whether of which, Ballyhea, with the evergreen Maurice O’Sullivan leading the charge in attack, continued to nibble away at the deficit, reducing it to five points after Pa O’Callaghan converted a ‘65 to make it 4-9 to 0-16 in the 50th minute.

That chance came about after corner forward Cailean Cox, taking a return pass from Dean Copps, had a goal attempt deflected outside the posts, and it was the only time Ballyhea threatened to grab the major score they needed to pull the game out of the fire in the second half.

Following an exchange of points between Barry Dwyer and Pa O’Callaghan from frees, Ballyhea remained in with a shout until Jack Dwyer put the game beyond their reach with a fifth goal for Ballymartle in the 57th minute.

The result means the possibility of relegation looms large for the 2014 PIHC kingpins, who have now gone seven championship games without a win since beating Carrigtowhill in a round two tie two years ago.

Scorers

BALLYMARTLE: B Dwyer 1-7 (4f), B Corry 1-4, Jamie Dwyer and Jack Dwyer 1-1 each, D McCarthy 1-0

BALLYHEA: P O’Callaghan 0-10 (7f, 1’65), M O’Sullivan 0-6, E O’Leary, C Cox, J Copps and C Hanley 0-1 each

BALLYMARTLE: P Allen; D Edmonds, M Tobin, R O’Leary; S Corry, R Cahalane, E Healy; S O’Mahony, L Corry; B Dwyer, B Corry, Jack Dwyer; D McCarthy, P Dwyer, Jamie Dwyer Subs: P Geary for Tobin, 47, Declan Dwyer for Edmonds (injured), 54, Dan Dwyer for Jamie Dwyer, 58, G Webb for O’Mahony, 62

BALLYHEA: M Browne; A Barrett, M Morrissey, L Hanley; L O’Connor, B Coleman, T Shanahan; J Morrissey, J Copps; P O’Callaghan, G Morrissey, K Copps; C Cox, M O’Sullivan, E O’Leary Subs: D Copps for Shanahan, ht, S O’Kelly for K Copps, ht, C Hanley for Cox, 51

REFEREE: D Kirwan (Éire Óg)