Ballyhea see off Castle in qualifier

Ballyhea 4-14 Castletownroche 1-9

A PHYSICALLY stronger Ballyhea side were comprehensive winners over Castletownroche in the Junior BHC county qualifier at Buttevant on Saturday evening.

Castletown were short key players Donal Relihan, Jonathan O’Callaghan and Seamus Skinner. The game was played in wet conditions. The winners started well and early points by Jack Barrett and Eddie Rea were followed by a Jack Barrett goal in the fifth minute after good play by Neil Ronan and Luke Crowley.

Dylan O’Connor opened Castletownroche’s account in the seventh minute. They followed with a Mark O’Callaghan point 1-2 to 0-2 in the 10th minute. Neil Ronan pointed a ‘65 with Niall Hazelwood pointing for Castletown. Ballyhea piled on the pressure.

Neil Ronan had two quickfire points with Luke Crowley pointing and followed with a goal in the 24th minute 2- 6 to 0-3. Luke Crowley and Mark O’Callaghan swopped a point Late points by Luke Crowley (2) and Neil Ronan gave Ballyhea an interval lead 2-10 to 0-4.

Conditions got worse with heavy rain on the resumption. There was no way back for Castletownroche as the winners had early points by Diarmuid O’Shaughnessy and Sean O’Kelly with Neil Ronan having a brilliant goal that moved his side 3-12 to 0-4 ahead.

Neil Ronan and Mark O’Callaghan traded a pointed free with Seán O’Kelly having the winner’s fourth goal in the 39th minute 4-13 to 0-5. Diarmuid O’Shaughnessy completed the winners scoring tally in the 45th minute. Castletownroche battled to the end.

They had points by Mark O’Callaghan, Jack Relihan and Niall Hazelwood with Dayne O’Neill having a 58th minute goal. Ballyhea will now meet the Imokilly winners in the county quarter final.

BALLYHEA: G O’Shea, M Crowley, S Dennehy, J O’Leary, D O’Riordan, T O’Sullivan, N Crowley, D Copps, J Barrett 1-1, E Rea 0-1, N Ronan 1-5 (0-3f, 0-1 ‘65’), M Mortell, L Crowley 1-4, D O’Shaughnessy 0-2, S O’Kelly 1-1 Subs: L O’Shea for T O’Sullivan, C Hanley for D O’Riordan, R Hanley for D O’Shaughnessy, E O’Sullivan for J Barrett, T J Garvey for D Copps

CASTLETOWNROCHE: J Batterberry, J P Ryan, T Barrett, W Madden, J Browne, D Relihan, J Relihan 0-1, D O’Connor 0-1, M Browne, N Hazelwood 0-2, M O’Callaghan 0-5 (0-3f), P Murphy, D O’Neill 1-0, S Mullane, C Relihan Subs: P Madden for W Madden, M Ryan for J Batterberry, L Sugrue for J P Ryan

REFEREE: Dwaine Collins (Charleville)