Mmmm’h – Not so good against Ballyhea
November 06, 2021
Killavullen hurling season for 2021 came to a poor end in Castletownroche last Saturday when we were defeated by Ballyhea in the semi Final of the U21 A Hurling championship. On paper, this was an impressive Killavullen team, with no less than 8 of our junior team starting in the 15 selected players, but we failed to fire on the day, conceded some soft goals, and missed our point opportunities at the other end that would have helped to claw our way back into the game, that slipped away from us.
Ballyhea opened their scoring from their very impressive free taker in the 1st minutes before we equalised from a free, from our marksman, Jamie Magner in the 3rd minute Ballyhea regained the lead from open play in the 6th minute, and we forced a 65 metres shot after Jamie Magner and Padraig Looney exchanged some passes, after a fluffed free. We scored the resultant 65 metre shot from Jamie to gain some measure of consolation; this was in the 11th minute. We took the lead from a nice point from open play in the 12th minute from Jamie, after getting on, a good relying clearance from Michael Cagney. We went behind to a somewhat fortuitous goal from Ballyhea, when a high speculative shot from their player deceived our goalkeeper, and went in over the line. That was the final score of the opening period, 1-02 to 0-03.
On the resumption, Eddie Cotter scored a nice point, but it was noticeable how hard the Ballyhea backs were making us work for a score and Jamie capitalised on another free in the 17th minute to complete our comeback 1-02 to 0-05. We got another blow to our collective solar plexus’s in the 19th minute when a shot of distance went into the net. Should have been saved, but was not and thus a significant blow. Shell shocked, we conceded another point from open play in the 20th minute and despite being more in the game, we gave away a cheap free to allow our opponents to stretch the Ballyhea lead out further, 2-04 to 0-05 in the 25th minute, and our solitary response from a mis firing attack was a free from distance, scored by Jamie. At the short whistle, we found ourselves behind 2-04 to 0-06. In that opening period, and with a tricky and swirling crosswind, we amassed seven wides as against six from Ballyhea, but crucially, we never threatened their goal.
After the break, we got a point back from Jamie from another free before the ace Ballyhea free taker and expert shooter scored two points from distance, struck low and with confidence over the bar. We got some further frees, but they were all, a long way out and wide on the channels, and we failed with 2 or 3 of those, that may have put pressure on Ballyhea. We did get one back from Mikey O Connor from a dead ball situation in the 8th minute of the half, but that was answered back again, almost on the puck out from the concession of a free, that resulted in another score. Padraig Looney scored a nice point, from open play for us, in the 15th minute to leave 4 points between the teams at the water break, 2-07 to 0-09.
The fate of the game was well and truly sealed when the Ballyhea No. 12 , on the end line, got inside his man and cooled batted the sliotar into the net for a fine goal to make the score gap rather large against us, and it was added to, 3 minutes later with another converted free. Ballyhea scored from open play in the 22nd minute to leave three clear goals between the teams. Killavullen tried hard to pull back those scores; but we could only force a point from Eddie Cotter from a free, and a lovely score from Liam Fox, at the death, to leave us well beaten on the day 3-09 to 0-11.
A poor showing from a much-vaunted team – We are better than that, or are we ….. Mmmmh – we have the long winter to mull over that one.
Final Score 3-09 to 0-11
The team was;
- Padraig Cronin
- Kian Lane
- Fionn Magner
- Conor Griffin
- Ronan Barry
- Brian Cotter
- Liam Fox (0-01)
- Michael Cagney
- Darragh O Grady
- Padraig Looney (0-01)
- Mikey O Connor (0-01F)
- Eddie Cotter (0-02, 0-01F)
- Jamie Magner (0-06, 0-04F + 0-01 -65)
- Colm Looney
- Seamus O Mahony
Substitutes;
- Sean Palmer for Seamus O Mahony
- Sean Bartley for Conor Griffin
- Cian O Connor for Mikey O Connor - Injured