Oulart best in local derby
HOSTS Oulart-The Ballagh battled past a resilient Buffers Alley to book their place in the final of the Greenstar Under-21 hurling Premier ‘B’ championship on Tuesday.
Two goals, one in either half, from Robbie Dunne and Barry Sinnott, sent the locals on their way to victory in a tightly-contested game.
Oulart-The Ballagh certainly made the brighter start, racing into a 1-5 to 0-1 lead inside the opening quarter.
Four Billy Dunne points, including one from an exquisite sideline cut, got them well on their way.
This early advantage was made to look all the more impressive in the eleventh minute when Ciarán Murphy misjudged a catch and allowed Robbie Dunne to race through on goal and dispatch a finish under the Alley ’keeper.
Buffers Alley staged a mini-resurgence in the second quarter and battled their way back into the game.
Owen Dempsey and Ross Donohoe scored their side’s only two points from play all evening, and Dempsey added two more minors from placed balls to leave the deficit at five at the interval (1-8 to 0-6).
The second-half felt like a tug of war between the sides, both desperately wanting a place in the final. They matched each other with six scores apiece but the early Oulart-The Ballagh lead proved too much for Buffers Alley to overturn.
Two more Dempsey frees were matched by Billy Dunne and Daryl Gray minors before Barry Sinnott finished expertly into the net for the game’s second and final goal.
Dempsey continued to tap over placed balls but the further into the second-half the game got, the more clear it became that goals were going to be needed. To Oulart-The Ballagh’s credit, their defence didn’t budge and goalkeeper Cathal Sinnott wasn’t required to make any real saves.
Billy Dunne added three more late points for the victors while his first cousin, Ross Donohoe, and John Farrell replied with frees from distance.
Oulart- The Ballagh closed out the game with relative ease and will now face Shelmaliers in the inaugural Under-21 Premier ‘B’ championship final.
Oulart-The Ballagh: Cathal Sinnott; Kevin Sinnott, Seán Murphy, Aidan Murphy; Conor Lawless, David Rossiter, Craig Davitt; Darragh Nimmo, Billy Dunne (0-10, 8 frees, 1 line ball); Barry Leacy, Cathal Kenny (0-1), Robbie Dunne (1-0); Barry Sinnott (1-0), Murtha Doyle (0-1), Daryl Gray (0-1). Sub. - Jack Roche for Leacy (45).
Buffers Alley: Darragh Kehoe; Leonard Lacey, Ciarán Murphy, James Teale; Lee Murphy, John Farrell, John Furlong (0-1 free); Ross Donohoe (03, 2 frees), James Doyle; Jack Butler, John Lee Meyler, Darragh Hammel; Cian Fortune, Owen Dempsey (0-8, 7 frees), Conor Mangan. Sub. - Jamie Warren for Teale (38).
Referee: Justin Heffernan (Blackwater).