Ballyhea win out in minor hurling championship
August 13, 2019
Killavullen rued missing several chances last night when a combative Ballyhea team with their free taker in brilliant form won in the minor hurling championship, on a final score of 1-09 to 0-16. The game was played in Killavullen.
We got the opening score from Mark Nagle, but Ballyhea hit back with 3 points of their own. Mark scored again for us, and followed up with a peach of a goal, after a beautiful diagonal ball from Brian Cotter found him in space. Ballyhea replied with a fine score of their own and Patrick O Grady was called on to make a very good save before Colm Looney scored for us, and that was followed up by a point from the hard working Noah Butler. Ballyhea went in just a point in arrears at the break though, after being successful with two free conversions just before the break. Killavullen were on top in the opening half but had a number of careless wides and with our normal deadly free taker on his holidays, we missed some opportunities from dead ball situations as well.
Ballyhea started the second half with real intent, and scored 3 quick fire points in a row to seize the initiative. Darragh O Grady scored a lovely point after weaving past several players in a crowded midfield area. Ballyhea scored their 10th point of the night before the introduced Jamie Magner converted a free. Ballyhea scored two frees in reply before Liam Fox was successful with a 65 metre free, after Noah Butler has chased down a lost cause. Ballyhea scored again before a very determined run from Noah, up along the line, created space to release Jamie who scored. Ballyhea though, as is their ilk, did not lie down and scored 3 points in a row to open up a commanding lead. Liam Fox got a point back for us, but twice in the last 5 minutes of the game, the Ballyhea keeper made outstanding saves to keep his team in the ascendancy.
The final score at the long whistle was 1-09 to 0-16, a four point winning margin for Ballyhea.
- Padraig O Grady
- Mikey Looney
- Ronan Barry
- Ben Hunter
- Chris O Callaghan
- Fionn Magner
- Brian Cotter
- Darragh O Grady (0-01)
- Michael Cagney
- Cian O Connor
- Liam Fox (0-02)
- Noah Butler(0-01)
- Mark Nagle(1-02)
- Colin Carey
- Colm Looney (0-01)
Substitutes –
- Jamie Magner (0-02) for Colin Carey
- Cian Lane for Ben Hunter
- Conor Griffin for Mikey Looney
- Michael Walsh for Colm Looney