Lucid is optimistic that Ballyheigue hurling is headed in the right direction
any type of momentum they relocated Michael Lucid further out from goal, and, his ability to win possession, and, use it effectively helped to steady the ship, even if it wasn’t transferred into scores, which was due, in part, to the performance of the Duagh goalkeeper Nigel Doorly who proved to be a pretty confident and capable custodian. A point from Darragh O’Connor in the 56th minute kept the scoreboard ticking over, but, it still left Duagh six points adrift 3-6 to 0-9.
A goal at that stage would have made for a grandstand finish, but, two points in quick succession, one from a free, from Adrian Flahive, which were Ballyheigue’s only scores of the half sealed the issue for them, with Kevin Kelliher’s goal in the dying moments merely putting a better complexion on the scoreboard.
Despite being somewhat inconsistent for periods, it was a fully deserved win for Ballyheigue, and was inspired by Michael Lucid and Michael Slattery, both of whom have given long and distinguished service to the club. BALLYHEIGUE: John Healy, Michael Walsh, Kevin O’Mahony, Bryan Sheehan, John Mike Carroll, Jason Griffin, Mark Mulvihill, Alan Lawlor, Adrian Flahive (0-2, 1f), Ned Flahive (0-2), Richard O’Mahony (01), Joe O’Halloran (0-1), Brian O’Riordan, Michael Lucid (2-1), Michael Slattery (1-1). Subs: Tadgh Hartnett for M Slattery, Willie Joe Leen for B O’Riordan. DUAGH: Nigel Doorley, Conor O’Brien, Shane O’Driscoll, Pat Walsh, Paudie Mc Namara, Tim Quirke, Neilo Keane, Michael Kirby (0-1) Darragh O’Connor (0-3), Shane O’Sullivan, Kieran Lucey (0-3), Niall GER Lucid was an outstanding player throughout the club’s golden era of the 1990s and is now a member of the management team on this occasion, and he stressed the importance of this particular win, and the future which looks bright for a club which has been starved of success in recent years.
“They (goals) were the determining factor really at the end of the game. If we didn’t get those goals we would have struggled. Duagh came back into it there in the second half, they fought for every ball, we had to fight for everything,” Lucid said. “We only got two points in the second half, which isn’t good enough. But in fairness to Duagh they are not a bad hurling team at all, out there tonight they gave us as good as we got.
“Only for our older, retired senior players, they showed up for us tonight, we needed them at the end of the day. That was the difference, and the goals at the start. We had the two key players, we knew before we started the game that all we had to do was to get ball into those two, and the two boys (Michael Slattery and Michael Lucid) are good enough at this level to win any game for O’Sullivan, Ger Guerin (0-2f), Kevin Quilter, John R Kirby. Subs: Brian O’Connell for S O’Driscoll, Maurice Lyons for S O’Sullivan, Kevin Kelleher (1-0) for N O’Sullivan.
REFEREE: Tom Godley (Kilmoyley) you, and they proved it there tonight, three goals between them. Michael (Lucid) is a class hurler, he knows how to play the ball, and he can lay it off to other players, you need players like that, players who will turn up trumps when you need them.
Lucid continued: “We need trophies coming to the village of Ballyheigue, because we have seen nothing for ten years, and they miss it here.
“Ballyheigue has a proud tradition of hurling, they always loved their hurling, it might just be junior but it’s a lot more than Junior to us tonight. It brings back a new pride to the parish, and the players deserve everything tonight.
“Our underage structure is very good at the moment, it’s very strong, and it’s thanks to the structure in Ballyheigue, it’s getting stronger, and I can see in years to come Ballyheigue will be back to the force they were again. They gave Crotta enough of it this year, they overwhelmed Kilmoyley for the first fifteen minutes, I saw a brand of hurling coming from Ballyheigue in that game, which, I haven’t seen for a long time. It is there just to bring it out.”