Biggest win yet for Ballyhogue
ALREADY ASSURED of top spot in the Kavanagh Meats Junior ‘A’ hurling championship Group A table, Ballyhogue secured their biggest win of the campaign to date when dispatching Oulart-The Ballagh in Bree on Friday.
The home side had four wins from their four games coming into this encounter but had nothing easy up to this point.
For the most part this was fairly straightforward, but Oulart-The Ballagh did at least show some resolve in a second-half that they drew (2-5 to 0-11).
However, the game appeared to be out of reach heading into the second period after Ballyhogue dominated the opening 30 minutes. In all honesty, they led by twelve at the break but it should have been more.
It’s rare you see any team in any grade shoot ten wides in the opening 19 minutes.
It’s even more unusual to see it done by a team still leading, with Ballyhogue holding a 0-5 to 0-3 advantage while misfiring.
Ben Asple (two), Enda Minogue, Ronan Minogue and Shane Doyle had all been on target in that spell, with responses at the other end by Cathal Kenny, Michael O’Brien and Aaron Doyle.
Despite the inaccuracy, the hosts were taking good shots and when those misses dried up the scores flowed.
In the final eleven minutes of the half Ballyhogue outscored Oulart-The Ballagh by 1-8 to 0-1 to all-but put the game to bed.
The goal actually started it and settled the nerves, with Ronan Minogue rattling the net before a string of points made it 1-13 to 0-4 at the interval.
Ballyhogue also started the second period impressively, with a second Minogue major helping his side into a commanding 2-15 to 0-4 lead.
However, they would only add 1-3 in the final 23 minutes, with three placed balls from Peter Kelly and a John Kehoe goal keeping them well in front.
At the other end Oulart-The Ballagh started their strong finish to the game with frees from Micheál Doyle and Cathal Kenny.
Kenny, Declan Sinnott and Oisín Dunne all scored nice points from play in the final quarter, sending their side into the preliminary quarter-final against Tara Rocks with something to build on.
Ballyhogue: Niall Maher; Conor O’Brien, Seán Rochford, Colm Parnell; Edward Byrne, James Parle, Enda Minogue (0-1); Ben Asple (0-6, 4 frees), Shane Doyle (capt., 0-1); Cian Wickham (0-2), John Kehoe (1-1), David Henebery; Ronan Minogue (22), Dylan Dalton, Peter Kelly (0-5, 2 ’65s, 1 free). Subs. - Seán Ring for Dalton (31), Dave Madden for Parle (39), Liam Rossiter for Minogue (41), Tobias Redmond for Doyle (47).
Oulart-The Ballagh: Cathal Sinnott; John Roche, Micheál Doyle (capt., 0-2 frees), Dylan O’Gorman; Conor Lawless, Craig Davitt, Oisín Dunne (0-1); Stephen Davitt, Aaron Doyle (0-1); Darren Kelly, Cathal Kenny (0-9, 5 frees), Dylan Mangan; Michael O’Brien (0-1), Colin Browne, Declan Sinnott (0-1). Subs. - Éanna Swords for Kelly (36), Lee Hore for O’Brien (36), Edward O’Dowd for Mangan (36), Ethan Freeman for Browne (46), Barry Leacy for D. Sinnott (56).
Referee: Philip Murphy (Faythe Harriers).