Kelly’s free-taking gets Bunclody over the line

HWH-BUNCLODY 0-17 R’GAROGUE-C’TOWN 1-12

THE EXCELLENT free-taking of midfielder Billy Kelly was one of the few things that went fully according to plan for HWH-Bunclody in St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy, on Saturday, and it was enough to get them over the line as they survived a spirited challenge from unfancied Rathgarogue-Cushinstown in this quarter-final clash in The Courtyard Ferns Intermediate hurling championship.

With a strike rate of eleven points from twelve attempts, it was a successful afternoon for the accurate number nine who kept his team ticking over when others were finding the going tough around him.

Rathgarogue-Cushinstown had claimed the fourth and final qualifying spot in their group with a last round victory against St. James’, and they showed they were in the last eight entirely on merit by holding their wind-aided rivals to a hard-earned 0-9 to 0-5 interval lead.

The biggest margin in that opening half was five points after Eoin Kelly made it 7-2 from an Eddie Black handpass in the 18th minute, but the New Ross District side responded very well as veteran free-taker Ollie Bolger brought his tally to four points with a brace of scores prior to their sole point from play before the break.

That arrived in the 27th minute, and it could have been a goal as captain Brian O’Neill fired high and over the bar from a good position after a Bernard Furlong delivery.

The HWH-Bunclody mentors had moved Aidan Nolan to full-forward at a very early stage, but he didn’t get a look in as a result of strong swarm defending from the Codys and the McGraths who gathered in numbers around him.

And it was only after moving to the right wing near half-time that the county player finally got some freedom, setting up Cathal Doyle for a point with a crossfield pass before earning a free that Billy Kelly converted for his fifth score.

Nolan partnered Kelly at midfield for the second-half, and this duo got through a lot of work along with centre-back Seán Kenny as HWH-Bunclody improved somewhat.

Eoin Kelly and the lively Jason Dunne swapped points on the re-start before a similar exchange between free-takers Billy Kelly and Ollie Bolger.

Five points divided the sides at the start of the final quarter when Colm Farrell held Bolger as they battled to win a Brian O’Neill delivery, and Daniel Martin Carroll stepped up to slam the penalty into the top left corner of Arthur O’Neill’s net (0-13 to 1-8).

It made for an enjoyable conclusion to the game and, to HWH-Bunclody’s credit, they ensured the gap was never below two points thereafter despite Rathgarogue-Cushinstown’s best efforts.

Indeed, Eoin Kelly caught the puck-out after that goal and was fouled, with Billy Kelly applying the finishing touch as he had done all afternoon.

A Bernard Furlong point drew yet another response from the winners’ top scorer, and when Brian O’Neill read the break from a puck-out for the second time after the interval and split the posts, that man Kelly had the answer from another free (0-16 to 1-10).

Ollie Bolger and Kelly exchanged points again, with the latter score coming after Peter Atkinson ran out of room close to the endline when it looked like a clinching goal was on the cards.

A Matthew Cody point in the 59th minute reduced the gap to two once more, and Rathgarogue-Cushinstown were not without hope even at that late stage.

Unfortunately, the same player sent a long-range free wide with their last real scoring chance, and Atkinson nearly forced the ball over the goal-line at the other end in added time before Bryan Cody and netminder Nicky Sinnott combined to keep him out.

The win made it six from six for HWH-Bunclody, but trainer Kevin Kennedy and his fellow mentors no doubt would agree that they won’t get to the county final with a similar-type display.

HWH-Bunclody: Arthur O’Neill; Conor Crean, Colm Farrell (capt.), David Reck; Matty Byrne, Seán Kenny, John Dunne; Martin O’Connor, Billy Kelly (0-11 frees); Jason Cowman, Aidan Nolan, Eddie Black (0-2); Cathal Doyle (0-1), Peter Atkinson (0-1), Eoin Kelly (0-2). Subs. - Kevin Dunne for J. Dunne (HT), Tadhg Kelly for Doyle (50).

Rathgarogue-Cushinstown: Nicky Sinnott; Peadar Cody, Bryan Cody, Ricky McGrath; Jason Dunne (0-1), Eoin Porter, Paudie McGrath; Matthew Cody (0-1), Brian O’Neill (capt., 0-3); Tadhg Cody, Daniel Martin Carroll (1-0 pen.), Bernard Furlong (0-1); Christopher Kent, Ollie Bolger (0-6 frees), Daire Bolger. Subs. - Paddy Murphy for Carroll, temp. (26-30), Murphy for D. Bolger (50).

Referee: James Owens (Askamore).