Hogues hit back after goal concession to win
IT’S A common occurrence for the team grabbing the first goal of a low-scoring encounter to push on and claim victory.
However, the exact opposite was the case in O’Kennedy Park, New Ross, on Saturday when St. Joseph’s fired blanks after Shane Dempsey’s major less than three minutes into the second-half had handed them a 1-4 to 0-5 lead against Ballyhogue.
Not alone was it the first goal, it was also the only one as it transpired. However, it spurred the Enniscorthy District side on to renewed efforts and they struck six points without reply between the 42nd minute and full-time to claim a badly-needed first win in Group A of the Ashdown Park/Amber Springs Hotels Intermediate football championship.
The Bishopswater team also went into this tie without any points, and a third straight loss leaves last year’s Intermediate ‘A’ winners in a precarious position at the foot of the table with two group games remaining.
One shouldn’t complain about Saturday’s sun given the miserable weather of recent months, but the stifling heat certainly proved energy-sapping for both sides and it showed in their early efforts.
Neither managed a score from play in the first quarter, with St. Joseph’s holding a 0-3 to 0-1 advantage after Shane Dempsey nailed three frees off the ground while Noel Roche did likewise with one at the other end.
Dempsey also came closest to raising a green flag with a low drive across goal and wide in between his second and third scores.
Wily veteran and team captain Edward Galavan was set up by Tony Ryan to make it a one-point game in the 16th minute, and he then figured in a one-two with Shane Byrne before the midfielder equalised.
County player Syl Byrne, who missed the galling late loss to Taghmon-Camross in round two, gave Ballyhogue the lead for the first time in the 22nd minute after a pass from Wexford colleague Shane Doyle.
And the blue and whites went on to lead by 0-5 to 0-4 at the break, with Galavan doubling his tally after good work by Graham Parker in a new wing-back role before Shane Dempsey replied with the sole Joseph’s point from play.
Ballyhogue hit two of their eleven wides in all (their rivals had seven) on the re-start before they conceded that goal in the 33rd minute. Initially a defender partially blocked a Declan Downes delivery and Shane Dempsey’s fisted effort came back into play off the post.
Gary Byrne re-cycled the ball in the right corner and worked it across again for Dempsey to tuck away a low shot into the far corner and leave the Wexford town team with a 1-4 to 0-5 advantage.
That was as good as it got for them though. Ballyhogue didn’t blitz them by any means, and it was slow but steady progress as the Bree-based side clawed away at the deficit.
Noel Roche converted a free before Graham Parker levelled in the 43rd minute, and the men in black almost regained the lead near the end of the third quarter. Ballyhogue netminder Myles Roche saved a shot from Gary Byrne, with Shane Dempsey getting a slight connection on the rebound before experienced defender Tomás Moriarty swept it away from the danger zone.
Noel Roche edged Ballyhogue in front from a free in the 49th minute, and he doubled their lead from play not long after a vital block by team-mate Shane Doyle as Andy Moore took aim for the Joseph’s.
The scoreboard had given up the ghost at 0-7 to 1-4, and there was another unexpected happening in the 55th minute when a Joseph’s player walked off the field in frustration and made his way to the dug-out before his colleagues persuaded him to re-join the fray, collecting a booking for his actions when he returned from referee David Jenkins.
Wing-forward Gary Byrne was then dismissed after accumulating yellow and black cards in that order, with Noel Roche making it 0-10 to 1-4 from the free which arose after a trip on Graham Parker.
Ballyhogue squandered two chances to close the game out, with Roche off target from a free before a Syl Byrne goal attempt was taken off the line by Shane Barnes.
However, the insurance score did come from Roche in the fourth minute of added time, with a relieved Ballyhogue finally off the mark at the third attempt.
Ballyhogue: Myles Roche; Tomás Moriarty, Seán Rochford, Graham Parker (0-1); James Parle, Richard Dunne, Tony Ryan; Shane Byrne (0-1), Syl Byrne (0-1); Conor Byrne, Denis Leacy, Shane Doyle; Noel Roche (0-6, 5 frees), Edward Galavan (capt., 0-2), Seán Ring. Subs. - Shane Murphy for Ring (36), Kevin Ring for Ryan (41), Dylan Dalton for C. Byrne (43).
St. Joseph’s: Jamie McMahon; Paddy King (capt.), David Tormey, Shane Barnes; Eddie Byrne, Paddy Harnett, Philip Leniston; Kyle Dempsey, Wayne Carty; Gary Byrne, Declan Downes, Dean Roche; Shane Dempsey (1-4, 0-3 frees), Andy Moore, Eddie Lawlor. Subs. - Seamus King for Leniston (HT), John Bergin for Lawlor (35), Robin Dempsey for Roche (53), Kieran Kelly for Bergin, inj. (59).
Referee: David Jenkins (Gusserane).