Sharpshooter Sam the key
THE ACCURACY of Sam Kelly was the deciding factor in Crossabeg-Ballymurn’s victory over Shamrocks in this lively and closely-fought Group B contest in round four of The Courtyard Ferns Intermediate hurling championship in Oylegate on Saturday.
The talented Wexford Under-21 forward was in deadly form from placed balls and hit an all-important goal midway through the second-half which was a real sucker-punch for their Enniscorthy town opponents.
Having both suffered one defeat already in their campaigns, these sides were determined to get the all-important third win that would secure a place in the last eight, and that determination was evident right from the start as Harry Goff and Sam Kelly traded scores on two occasions early on.
The eventual winners were having a better time in front of goals however, and went ahead by five with ten minutes before the break.
The ‘Rocks regained their composure when Seán Wildes stole inside the defence and finished to the net, and with help from Philip Freeman they were back within two at half-time.
Within two minutes of the restart they were ahead thanks to Goff, Wildes and John Thorpe but that was as good as things would get for them as the beaten finalists of 2015 showed why they were carrying the favourites’ tag with Kelly, Tony Murphy, Oisín Foley and Niall Murphy hitting scores at will, putting them six points up midway through the half.
Seán ‘Tutsie’ Wildes was proving to be a real handful for the Crossabeg-Ballymurn defence and was unlucky not to find the net going into the final quarter.
But the lively full-forward made no mistake one minute later to put his side within touching distance.
Crossabeg-Ballymurn responded admirably however, with who else but Kelly pouncing for a goal almost immediately which was inevitably the score that put his side into the quarter-finals, with Shamrocks’ future uncertain until the final round.
Crossabeg-Ballymurn: Mark Dempsey; Paul Roche, Billy Roche, Alan Byrne; Conor Shovlin, Paddy Devereux, David Kehoe; Conor Devereux, Ronan Devereux (0-1); Shane O’Rourke (0-1), Sam Kelly (1-7, 0-5 frees, 0-1 ‘65), Oisín Foley (0-2); Niall Murphy (0-3), Tony Murphy (1-3), David Jackman. Subs. - Pádraig Foley for B. Roche, Eoin McDonald for Kehoe, Luke Redmond for O’Rourke.
Shamrocks: Jamie Dagg; Barry Dobbs, Mick Weafer, Podge Doyle; Bob Jacob, Anthony Wallace, Philip Freeman (0-1); Jim Jacob, Brandon O’Connor; Harry Goff (0-4), Jack Moorehouse (0-1), Killian Gahan; Maurice Casey (0-4 frees), Seán Wildes (2-1), John Thorpe (0-2 frees). Sub. - Karl Cullen for Thorpe.
Referee: Damien Donovan (Volunteers).