The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Lixnaw power on in second half
COUNTY SHC ROUND 2A Lixnaw 3-19 Ballyduff 1-16
A second half scoring surge propelled Lixnaw into the semi finals of this year’s championship at the expense of last year’s finalists last Sunday afternoon.
The final scoreline might suggest that it was a pretty one-sided affair, and, in the end the margin of victory was pretty comfortable and comprehensive.
However, Lixnaw had to dig deep to overcome a pretty resolute Ballyduff combination and certainly for all of the first half and for a period in the third quarter Ballyduff, at one stage just a point adrift, were well equal to the challenge.
However, when questions were asked about Lixnaw’s ability to stay afloat they responded in style and stepped up a gear throughout all of the final quarter to fashion what was in the end a pretty impressive victory with a performance which owed much to their superior skill set and sharpness and to a greater spread of scorers.
Again Ballyduff depended exclusively on Padraig Boyle for scores and while he delivered in spades you need an awful lot more to contribute and share the burden.
He scored three pointed frees inside the opening eight minutes of play and with John Hussey also on target Ballyduff were the early leaders 0-4 0-1.
Certainly Ballyduff were the superior side during these early stages, but a goal in the tenth minute from James Flaherty levelled matters. A defensive lapse allowed the Lixnaw attacker a free run in on goal inside the last line of the defence and he duly delivered with a confident finish.
However, Ballyduff kept pace through the unerring scoring returns of Padraig Boyle and they were back in front 0-6 1-2 by the thirteenth minute, courtesy of a pointed ‘65’ from their top scorer, after Liam Boyle had been denied of a goal at the near post by Martin Stackpoole.
Level 1-3 0-6 at the end of the opening quarter successive pointed frees from Mike Conway edged Lixnaw marginally in front 1-5 0-7 by the twenty first minute at which juncture Lixnaw struck for goal number two.
Ballyduff failed to execute a routine pick up in their own square and when the sliotar presented itself to Shane Conway he duly capitalised with an instinctive first time ground stroke.
However, Ballyduff responded
with a goal of their own in the twenty fourth minute when Padraig Boyle was on hand to apply the finish from close range after the opportunity had materialised with a ball which was steered across the face of the goal from a melee on the end line. It ensured that Ballyduff were still very much in contention trailing by just two points, 2-8 to 1-9, at half time.
Lixnaw built on their lead early in the second half, but, they also squandered a few scoring opportunities and, with Padraig Boyle continuing to add to his own spiralling scoring tally, his side were only one point adrift 2-10 1-12 after 38 minutes.
Certainly it was game on at this particular juncture with the outcome delicately poised. Time to stand up and be counted and stepping up in style were the Conway brothers.
Three unanswered points from them two from Shane, from play, and another from James Flaherty restored a five-point cushion in favour of Lixnaw and when Jason Wallace scored another opportunist goal at the end of the third quarter the scoreboard 3-14 to 1-12 suggested that the end result was largely a foregone conclusion.
Padraig Boyle continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over for Ballyduff, but Lixnaw at this stage were in full flow with Shane Conway, who was on the receiving end of a few heavy challenges, very much a leading light.
In the end they completed and sealed a pretty convincing win without the services of John Griffin in a contest where their character was fully tested, as it was always likely to be.
The level and quality of their performance reinforced the widely held view that they have all of the components and ingredients to regain the championship crown. Ballyduff could still be in the shake up, but, they need support for Padraig Boyle in attack.
Jack Goulding’s return from the States will be eagerly awaited by them.
LIXNAW: Martin Stackpoole, Darragh Shanahan, Pat Corridan, Declan Mc Carthy, Conor O Keeffe, Liam Mullins, Stephen Power, John Buckley, Jeremy McKenna, Shane Conway (1-6), Ricky Heffernan (0-1), James Flaherty (1-2), Jason Wallace (1-0), Michael Conway (0-9, 6f), Colin Sheehy (0-1) Subs: Ger Stackpoole for C O’Keeffe (blood sub), Conor O’Keeffe for G Stackpoole, Ger Stackpoole for C Sheehy
BALLYDUFF: PJ O’Gorman, Thomas Slattery, Eoin Ross, Cathal Kearney, David Goulding (0-1), Paud Costello, Ally O’Connor, John Hussey (0-1), Anthony O’Carroll, Mikey Boyle, Gary O’Brien, Paul O’Carroll, Padraig Boyle (1-14, 0-5f, 0-4 ‘65’), Aidan Boyle, Liam Boyle Subs: Jack O’Sullivan for P O’Carroll, Maurice Dowling for L Boyle
REFEREE: Dave Copps (Cork)