Camross dig deep to edge epic battle to reach Premier Intermediate final
Laois Shopping Centre Premier IHC s/f
Camross 0-28
Clough/Ballacolla 1-20
IT took over 80 minutes of hurling for Camross and Clough/Ballacolla to finally be separated in their Laois Shopping Centre Premier IHC semi-final Saturday evening in Laois Hire O'Moore Park.
Camross won out in the end by five points after a tough slog against their old rivals, though it was a slow burner it turned out to be an enthralling game in the wind up with both sides looking at different stages like they were going to pull away to victory.
A good start gave Camross leg up in the early stages of the game and they remained on top for the majority of normal time with Clough/Ballacolla eventually getting back on level terms right at the death to force an extra twenty minutes of play.
Despite an early goal for Clough/Ballacolla in extra-time, the Camross bench rang strong with excellent performances from Ryan Cuddy, Rob Tyrell and Ciaran Keenan when the game was in the melting pot and ultimately that just gave Camross the edge in the wind up against a youthful and exuberant Clough/Ballacolla side that had plenty of players to watch over the coming years.
Within 30 seconds of the throw in, the first flag was raised at the Abbeyleix End after a fine effort from Kevin Hyland to give Clough/Ballacolla an early and short lived lead.
Peter Rafter was forced into a good save moments after the opener but Camross did get off the mark from a Ben Deegan free and he was followed by an excellent attempt from play by Matthew Collier.
Deegan was again on the mark from placed balls, one free and one 65, before increasing the Camross to lead by four in the 12th minute with a fine effort from open play.
Clough/Ballacolla were struggling to make anything happen up the field while suffering the mini onslaught from Camross and it took a moment of magic from CJ Brennan to get the board ticking for them once again with a beautiful flick and strike over the bar.
Deegan did initially reply with a free but the tide began to turn in favour of Clough/Ballacolla with four of the next five scores going their way, the first a Hyland free followed by Ben Delaney from play.
Bryan Bredin hit back for Camross before Clough/Ballacolla youngsters Brennan and John Coonan both landed excellent points from play to put just a point between the teams.
A fine score from Ashton Keenan reopened a two point gap once again for Camross but Clough/Ballacolla were firing and hit three in a row to take the lead.
Padraigh Brennan, Sean Corby and John Coonan all scored from long distance attempts at the posts to put their side into a one point lead coming up to the end of the half.
After their lull period Camross pressed on slightly down the stretch and got two scores of their own through Deegan and David Mortimer, but a Kevin Hyland free in reply ensured the sides were level at ten points apiece at half time.
The opening ten minutes of the second half saw five points, all from frees, and Deegan edged out Hyland by three to two as Camross held a one point advantage after the trades, which was increased to two with a second point of the evening from Bredin.
Sean Corby and Ashton Keenan traded scores before John Dwyer was denied by Thomas Dunphy with a great save, though Hyland pointed the resulting 65 and added a free moments later to level the game with ten minutes left.
Camross threatened a goal themselves but Peter Rafter pulled off a great save to deny a goal for Ryan Cuddy and deflect it over the bar for a point, and Deegan followed from play with a good effort to put two between the teams again.
Hyland hit back with a free before Bredin's third put two between them with two minutes left to play, and up stood Hyland again to strike over a free from midfield on the sideline and follow it up with a leveller from play to force extra-time at 0-18 apiece.
Clough/Ballacolla couldn't have dreamed a better start to extra-time when CJ Brennan was hauled down in the box and Hyland buried the resulting penalty in the bottom corner of the net.
They failed to add to it for the first ten minute half of extra-time however and Camross capitalised with a free from Deegan followed by an exquisite sideline cut over the bar from the Camross marksman.
Ashton Keenan and Rob Tyrell both pointed from play before the extra-time break and Deegan added another free to put Camross ahead at 0-23 to 1-18.
The Camross bench continued to prove dangerous with a good score from Ryan Cuddy in the second half of extra time before a reply came via Gary Whelan and Tyrell fired one back for Camross again.
Hyland nailed a fantastic free from midfield once again as conditions toughened with the cold air setting in, Clough/Ballacolla were now chasing a goal ultimately but it continued to evade them as Camross held out strong.
Camross also continued to pounce at the Abbeyleix End with Ashton Keenan, Ben Deegan and Rob Tyrell all capping off excellent performances with late scores from play to secure the win.
Camross will now play Castletown in the final on Sunday 3 October.
SCORERS:
Camross: Ben Deegan 0-12 (0-8fs, 0-1 sideline, 0-1 65), Ashton Keenan 0-4, Rob Tyrell and Bryan Bredin 0-3 each, David Mortimer, Matthew Collier, Ryan Cuddy and Kevin Byrne 0-1 each.
Clough/Ballacolla: Kevin Hyland 1-11 (0-8fs, 1-0 penalty, 0-1 65), CJ Brennan, John Coonan and Sean Corby 0-2 each, Ben Delaney, Padraigh Brennan and Gary Whelan 0-1 each.
CAMROSS: Thomas Dunphy; Josh Hynes, Daniel Breen, Joe Phelan; Eoin Dowling, Andrew Collier, Lorcan Burke; Matthew Collier, Bryan Bredin; Robbie Delaney, Darrell Dooley, Kevin Byrne; Ashton Keenan, Ben Deegan, David Mortimer.
Subs: Ryan Cuddy for Mortimer (45m), Rob Tyrell for Dooley (45m), Ciaran Keenan for Delaney (54m), Aaron Moore for Collier (20m, et) CLOUGH/BALLACOLLA: Peter Rafter; Eoin Duggan, Evan Cassin, Sean Hayes; Paddy Meade, Kyle Handcock, Emmet Saunders; Padraigh Brennan, Ben Delaney; John Coonan, Sean Corby, Kevin Hyland; Gary Whelan, John Dwyer, CJ Brennan.
Subs: Jim Hyland for Saunders (ht), Chris Rafter for Delaney (7m, et, inj), Fergal Brennan for Corby (16m, et), Colin Doheny for Hyland (22m, et, inj) Referee: Anthony Stapleton (Rathdowney/Errill)
