Shels record a superb tally
Trouble mounts for Alley
SHELMALIERS RACKED up 4-21 for the second time this season as they coasted away from Buffers Alley on their way to a second Pettitt’s Senior hurling championship Group A win at Innovate Wexford Park on Monday of last week.
The Hollymount side have four points on the board after this 13-point success and should wrap up their quarter-final spot if they can get the better of St. Anne’s next time out.
Not for the first time this season, Ross Banville proved the go-to man. The teenager ran up an incredible personal haul of 1-17, including a perfect twelve deadballs from all manner of distances and angles.
The fact that his scoring tally matched that of the Alley in total only goes some way to explaining this game. Shels were reliant on their young guns, with Conor Hearne throwing in 1-2 as well, but it was the hard work of others, creating chances and winning frees, that was just as vital.
Banville kicked off the game with the first two of his haul but the Alley hit back with all three in the starting full-forward line on the board to open up a 0-3 to 0-2 lead.
However, in the ninth minute Conor Hearne robbed the ball from Darren O’Brien as he attempted to make space to clear and sent it back to the net.
The Monamolin side had worked their way back to parity by the 19th minute after a fine score from Pat Doran from the right wing. However, Shelmaliers were starting to pick up frees and Banville was proving unerringly accurate.
Shane Grannell levelled the contest for the fourth time in the 25th minute but Shelmaliers finished the half on the front foot. Banville scored four dead-balls and Hearne also hit the target to send them in leading by 1-10 to 0-9.
A pair of Andrew Kenny points at the start of the second-half allowed the Gorey District side to keep pace for a few minutes. However, eleven minutes with the breeze but without a score, leading into the final quarter, left them with a mountain to climb.
Simon Donohoe became just the third Shels player to register in that spell when he made it 1-15 to 0-11.
After the lead swelled to nine, the Alley did produce a mini-revival, scoring five of six points, two of which came from Paul O’Leary, to close within five.
Eoghan Nolan looked to have shut down that purple patch when he took Conor Walsh’s crossfield ball, rounded his marker and flashed a rocket past Darren O’Brien.
However, the Alley puck-out landed with Andrew Kenny, and he made space for himself and rattled the net.
The goal did very little to slow Shelmaliers and they outscored their opponents by 2-3 to 0-1 in the time remaining. Banville got his goal from Brian Malone’s clever handpass, and Nolan netted a second from Conor Hearne’s long feed to wrap up the win.
While the Shels seem to be on their way to the knockout stages, Buffers Alley have a huge game against Faythe Harriers in the next round. There’s a very decent chance that the loser of that game will end up in a relegation final, and that’s something neither will want to contemplate.
Shelmaliers: Adam Howlin; Andre O’Brien, Eoin Doyle, Craig Parker; Conor Walsh, Aidan Cash, Jody Donohoe; Ciarán O’Shaughnessy, Simon Donohoe (0-1); Eoghan Nolan (2-0), Brian Malone (capt.), James Cash; Ross Banville (1-17, 0-12 frees), Joe Kelly, Conor Hearne (1-2). Sub. - Conor Byrne (0-1) for Kelly (49).
Buffers Alley: Darran O’Brien; Conor Kenny, Ciarán Kenny (capt.), Barry Kenny; Paudie Reidy, Seán Murphy, Bobby Kenny; Ciarán Murphy, Kevin Roche; Pat Kenny (0-2), Willie Doran, Shane Grannell (0-1); Paul O’Leary (0-6 frees), Cormac Foley (0-2), Andrew Kenny (1-5, 0-1 free). Subs. - Robert O’Leary for Bobby Kenny, inj. (3), Páraic Roche (0-1) for Ciarán Kenny (42), Thomas Dempsey for Barry Kenny (50).
Referee: Justin Heffernan (Blackwater).