Can Hogues take next step?
BALLYHOGUE WILL be aiming to finally get over the line and make it to the Permanent TSB Junior ‘A’ hurling championship final when they face Clongeen in Cushinstown on Sunday (12.30 p.m.).
After taking Junior ‘B’ honours in 2012, the Enniscorthy District side have been models of consistency in terms of making the knockout stages, but so far they have come up short.
As well as losing semi-finals in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2018, they exited at the quarter-final stage in 2014 and 2016, but there has been one notable feature of their unbeaten march to the last four.
Apart from the nine points they had to spare in the last group game against Rathgarogue-Cushinstown, their other five victories were hard-earned, by margins of four, two, one, three and one respectively.
Included was a 1-11 to 0-13 win over Clongeen, who are trying to bounce back after suffering relegation from Intermediate ‘A’ in 2015, and then from Junior two years later.
The Hogues have experienced figures in goalkeeper Niall Maher and full-back Eddie Galavan, while county footballer Shane Doyle forms a strong midfield partnership with Graham Parker.
Emmet Kent’s return has been a huge boost for Clongeen who may well overturn that group game loss, while Páraic Cullen and the Cahills will give him every assistance.
PATHS TO THE SEMI-FINALS – Ballyhogue: beat Cloughbawn 2-9 to 0-11; beat Adamstown 1-16 to 1-14; beat Clongeen 1-11 to 0-13; beat Tara Rocks 0-18 to 1-12; beat Rathgarogue-Cushinstown 4-14 to 1-14; beat St. Fintan’s 2-14 to 1-16 (quarter-final); Clongeen: beat Rathgarogue-Cushinstown 0-9 to 0-6; beat Tara Rocks 2-18 to 0-8; lost to Ballyhogue 1-11 to 0-13; beat Cloughbawn 1-22 to 1-9; beat Adamstown 1-24 to 0-4; beat Kilmore 1-13 to 0-11 (quarter-final).
Monamolin will host the clash of Oylegate-Glenbrien and Naomh Eanna, also on Sunday at 12.30 p.m.
That’s a repeat of the last round of group games when the Gorey side – winners of this title in 2014, but relegated in 2016 – inflicted a rare defeat on the boys in blue (1-15 to 0-11).
Oylegate-Glenbrien claimed the Junior ‘B’ crown last year and went on to add All-Ireland honours down in Limerick, as well as securing an All-County League title not too long ago.
Nonetheless, they have lost the prolific Marty Kelly to Senior ranks since, although this has been balanced by the significant addition of Bryan McCormack to centre-back.
The Dunnes, Paudie Casey and Daithí O’Mahoney are key figures too, but it won’t be easy to see off a Naomh Eanna side powered by the Cullen brothers, Seán Delaney, Lee Kinsella and captain John O’Brien.
PATHS TO THE SEMI-FINALS – Naomh Eanna: beat Oulart-The Ballagh 2-17 to 0-7; lost to St. Fintan’s 1-14 to 0-15; drew with Kilmore 0-15 each; received a walkover from Craanford; beat Oylegate-Glenbrien 1-15 to 0-11; beat Tara Rocks 1-13 to 2-4 (quarter-final); Oylegate-Glenbrien: beat Kilmore 2-15 to 0-10; beat Oulart-The Ballagh 5-18 to 0-8; received a walkover from Craanford; beat St. Fintan’s 5-14 to 1-13; lost to Naomh Eanna 1-15 to 0-11; beat Rathgarogue-Cushinstown 3-19 to 0-11 (quarter-final).