Buttevant always in control over Doneraile in county JBHC

COUNTY JUNIOR ‘B’ HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP

AS the scoreline suggests Buttevant were never troubled by Doneraile when they clashed in the Co-Op Superstores County JBHC at Kildorrery on Saturday evening.

From the offset the better balanced Buttevant gained supremacy in the key half backline and midfield sectors that ensured constant supply of quality ball to their forwards where Mark Lenahan and Shane O’Callaghan impressed in the full forward line accounting for 2-20 between them.

The winners were 0-4 to no score in front before Doneraile opened their account when the hardworking Cian Donlon pointed from long range in the eighth minute.

Shane O’Callaghan and Conor Curran traded a point before Buttevant struck for the first of their three goals in the 13th minute when a great solo run by Mark Lenahan set up Shane O’Callaghan who made no mistake from close range.

It was all Buttevant for a while with Anthony O’Neill, Chris O’Toole, Kevin Crowley and Jamie O’Brien also very effective as they stretched their advantage to 1-14 to 0-2 by the 25th minute that all but sealed their place in the knock-out stages when Mark Lenahan (6) Chris O’Toole and Shane O’Callaghan had points.

Doneraile, to their credit, battled away with Ryan Carlton, Cian Donlon, Odhran Ward and Conor Curran to the fore. Conor Curran picked off three late points for Doneraile as they trailed at the interval by 1-15 to 0-5.

On the changeover Mark Lenahan (3) Conor Curran, Odhran Ward and Ben Cronin traded points by the 42nd minute as Buttevant maintained their comfortable lead.

In the last quarter Buttevant finished very well. They introduced five substitute who all made an immediate impact. Mark Lenahan and John O’Neill with goals in the space of a minute moved them 3-20 to 0-9 clear by the 50th minute.

In the last ten minutes further pressure yielded points by Mark Lenahan (3) Aaron Horgan (2) Ted O’Donoghue, David Keane and Willie Fitzgibbon as they ran out easy winners.

BUTTEVANT: B O’Shaughnessy, D O’Sullivan, K Lenahan 0-1, N O’Riordan, Seamus Madigan, C O’Toole 0-2, J O’Neill 1-0, J O’Brien, K Crowley, D Keane 0-1, Sean Madigan, A O’Neill, Donal Ryan, M Lenahan 1-17 (0-8f), S O’Callaghan 1-3.

Subs: T O’Donoghue 0-1 for D Ryan, A Horgan 0-2 for Sean Madigan, M O’Connell for K Crowley, W Fitzgibbon 0-1 for J O’Brien, D Walsh for K Crowley.

DONERAILE: D Reilly, W Hunter/Hickey, F Woods, J Walsh, R Carlton 0-1f, K Sweeney, C Donlon 0-1, O Ward 0-1, J O’Shea, K Good, B Buckley, C Curran 0-8 (6f), B Cronin 0-1, M Roche, F Kelly. Sub: R Jones for M Roche.

REFEREE: Peter Watson (Kildorrery)