Dunbar seals top spot
AN INSPIRED Cathal Dunbar performance fired Ballygarrett to the top of The Courtyard Ferns Intermediate hurling championship Group A table while condemning Oulart-The Ballagh to a relegation play-off.
With all six teams still in the running for qualification before a ball was pucked on Sunday, the sides went into the game at Bellefield knowing that a win would guarantee them a spot in the quarter-finals.
Big games are often defined by flashes of brilliance. That was certainly the case here where Dunbar produced numerous flashes which ultimately got the Gorey District side over the line.
Another Ballygarrett man, goalkeeper Shane Quinn, was at the centre of the action in an otherwise quiet first-half. With the scores deadlocked at 0-3 apiece after a quarter of an hour, Gary Murphy ran through on goal and attempted to lob Quinn.
The slightly undercooked attempt was flicked by the Ballygarrett goalkeeper but he failed to find enough purchase to prevent a goal.
Moments later an almost identical incident followed, except this time the ball was in the hand of Anthony Storey. Storey hit low and hard but was denied a second Oulart-The Ballagh goal in the same amount of minutes by a fantastic dive from Quinn.
Startled at the possibility of the game getting away from them, Ballygarrett added two quick points before the interval through Eoin Corcoran and Cormac Moore while Peadar Mythen scored his third of the half to ensure Oulart-The Ballagh took a 1-4 to 0-6 lead to the break.
Ballygarrett began the second period quicker with Dunbar registering three emphatic scores, one direct from a sideline cut. Their newly-acquired lead was soon extended to four, with Dunbar racing from midfield through defence to fire past Michael O’Dowd in the Oulart-The Ballagh goal.
Determined to stay in touch and bring the game to the wire, Oulart-The Ballagh added points through Eamonn Murphy and Mythen before the latter levelled the tie in the 59th minute, pulling home Darren Nolan’s parried shot.
Yet, Ballygarrett held their nerve and Jack Hobbs pointed the vital winning score from a dead ball in injury time to send the Gorey District side through to a quarter-final meeting with Craanford.
Ballygarrett: Shane Quinn; Tom Sinnott, Eddie Redmond, Gavin Walker; Pat Naughter, Stephen Redmond (0-2 ’65s), Darren Morris; Evan Dunbar, Colm Kennelly; Jimmy Murphy, Seán O’ Brien, Eoin Corcoran (0-2); Cormac Moore (0-1), Cathal Dunbar (1-6, 0-1 line ball), Jack Hobbs (capt., 0-4). Subs. - Kevin Jordan for O’Brien (28), Paddy Fleming for Murphy (52), Harry Byrne for Corcoran (60).
Oulart-The Ballagh: Michael O’Dowd; Ian Storey, Dennis Morton, Seán Murphy; Anthony Stamp, Eamonn Murphy (capt., 0-2), David Rossiter; Darren Nolan, Richard Doyle; Colin Sunderland, Anthony Storey, Peadar Mythen (1-6, 0-4 frees); Cormac Finn (0-3), Gary Murphy (1-0), Niall Redmond. Subs. - James O’Toole for Murphy (31), Cathal Kenny for Rossiter (56).
Referee: David O’Leary (Rathnure).