Reck and Casey grab key scores

THE COURTYARD FERNS INTERMEDIATE HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP

A TOUR de force from scoring duo Damien Reck and Seamus Casey who helped themselves to a 15-point haul between them ensured that Oylegate-Glenbrien claimed local bragging rights over Blackwater in The Courtyard Ferns Intermediate hurling championship Group B game at Innovate Wexford Park on Saturday.

Casey opened the scoring before Dean Whelan and Shane O’Leary edged Blackwater, who were playing with the wind in the first-half, in front.

Scores were hard to come by in the early exchanges as the sides added points apiece before the game’s only goal came on the 20-minute mark, with Conor Sutton hooking John Foley between the Oylegate-Glenbrien posts and Shane O’Leary finishing to the net (1-3 to 0-4).

However, the rest of the half was to belong to Damien Reck as he added three superb points in a scoring flourish from both sides, including one right on the stroke of the break to give his side the lead (0-9 to 1-5).

Jamie Reck opened the scoring in the second-half before substitute Seán Purcell cut the deficit to the minimum once more for Blackwater.

Damien Reck and Fergus Heffernan then exchanged points with Purcell before the winners outscored their opponents by four points to one.

The four scores from Oylegate-Glenbrien came from none other than Seamus Casey who had been passed the pedestal from Reck in the first-half as Blackwater could only muster a response from a Dean Wright free (0-17 to 1-10).

Blackwater nearly made things interesting but Wayne O’Connor’s effort went over the bar as Damien Reck and Robert O’Connor completed the scoring for Oylegate-Glenbrien.

The winners were already through and will meet neighbours Shamrocks in the quarter-final, while Blackwater knew they were in a relegation final beforehand and will now take on Oulart-The Ballagh in another local derby.

Oylegate-Glenbrien: John Foley; Robert O’Connor (0-1), Bryan McCormack, Ciarán Hourihane; Jim White, Michael Heffernan, Shane Reck; Damien Reck (0-7, 1 free), Conor Heffernan; Peter Nolan, Fergus Heffernan (0-1), Eoin O’Mahoney; Seamus Casey (08, 4 frees), Jamie Reck (0-2), Fergal Doran Sub. - Pa Cullen for Nolan.

Blackwater: Robert O’Leary; Kevin Purcell, Lar Leacy, Anthony Roche; Kevin O’Brien, Diarmuid Murphy, Shane Wright; Darren Byrne, Dean Wright (0-2 frees); Dean Whelan (01), James Dooley (0-1), Kerill Sutton; Conor Sutton, Shane O’Leary (1-3, 0-3 frees), Brian Dooley. Subs. - Seán Purcell (0-2) for Whelan, Wayne O’Connor (0-1) for K. Sutton, Dylan Dixon (0-1) for S. O’Leary.

Referee: Brendan Martin (Ballyhogue).