Rosslare pull clear in final five minutes

ST. MARY’S (ROSSLARE) 0-18 BUFFERS ALLEY 1-11

ST. MARY’S (Rosslare) advanced to the last four of the Permanent TSB Junior hurling championship after finishing strongly against a game Buffers Alley side in this keenly-contested quarter-final in Blackwater on Saturday.

While the eventual winners always looked the more competent side, they were never comfortable, going in at the break level and never going more than three points ahead of their opponents.

But, with Lee Devereux and Paul Kinsella finding the range when it mattered most, the Rosslare side pulled clear in the final five minutes for a hard-earned win.

It was tit-for-tat early in the opening quarter as the sides drew level on three occasions, with Paul Doyle, Colm Óg Doran and Jamie Dempsey-Doyle swapping scores with Rees Broaders and Lee Devereux.

Rosslare looked that bit sharper in front of goal however, and pulled four clear as Devereux hit a hat-trick of points and Broaders chipped in.

The Alley got a stroke of luck when Domhnall McArdle’s long-range free went all the way to the net and, with help from Dempsey-Doyle, they found themselves level at the break.

The second period continued much in the same manner, as the sides swapped scores evenly early on before Rosslare went three ahead midway through the half.

Robert Butler got through mountains of work and Devereux continued to be a thorn in the side of the Alley defence.

Buffers Alley continued to cling on as they have done in so many games this year, and Jamie Dempsey-Doyle was proving reliable as he split the posts three more times to put two between them with five minutes remaining.

However, St. Mary’s, who always seemed like they had that little bit extra, pulled it out when it was needed most as Paul Kinsella and Devereux’s accuracy saw them edge clear in the end to clinch a spot in the semi-final.

St. Mary’s (Rosslare): Niall Walsh; Emmet Byrne, Conor Cafferkey, Conal Grant; Ned Power, David Murphy, Shea Boggan; Tiarnan Rossiter (0-2), Gearóid Byrne; Jason Ellard (0-2), Robert Butler, Paul Kinsella (0-3); Rees Broaders (0-2), Andrew Murphy, Lee Devereux (0-9, 3 frees). Subs. - Larry Morrisey for Murphy (41), Naomhan Rossiter for Ellard (55).

Buffers Alley: Tony Doran; Matty Cardiff, Alan Doyle, Paudie Kinsella; Lee Murphy, Domhnall McArdle (1-0 free), Colm Óg Doran (0-1); Darragh Hammel, Jamie Dempsey-Doyle (0-7, 3 frees); Thomas O’Leary, Jim Hughes (0-1), Darragh Butler (0-1); Paul Doyle (0-1), John Furlong, Paul Doran. Subs. - Leonard Lacey for P. Doran (35), Gearóid O’Connor for Cardiff (41), John O’Sullivan for O’Leary (52).

Referee: James Flood (St. Mary’s, Maudlintown).