Duggan stars as Ballinakill retain senior status in style
Seamus Fitzpatrick (Ballinakill) makes a break in their SHC Relegation playoff win over Ballyfin at Colt on Sunday Photo: Denis Byrne
BALLINAKILL have preserved their Senior Hurling status for 2027 thanks to a stunning second half performance that blew Ballyfin away in Colt on Sunday afternoon.
It was 12 points apiece at half time and it looked like it was going to go down to the last puck of the ball, but Ballinakill had other things on their mind.
They would hit ten points in a row in the second half, before Ballyfin got on the board and it was ultimately the winning of the game.
The half forward line of Brian Duggan, Conor McDonagh and Ben O'Meara were superb with 18 of the points coming from the trio.
Ballinakill went into an early lead with two quick fire points from Etan Drury and Brian Duggan.
In a close first half there was never more than three points between the sides, Ballyfin got of the mark through Eanna Lyons to settle Ballyfin into the game.
Both teams would swap points with Shane Connolly on target for Ballyfin while Duggan nailed another free for Ballinakill.
Conor McDonagh then hit two in row in this end to end contest. There was nothing between the sides. They swapped points on two occasions with Alan Connolly and Ronan Carroll on target for Ballyfin while Brian Duggan got the points for Ballinakill, to leave Ballinakill in control after 17 minutes 0-7 to 0-4.
Ballyfin got the next two scores through Ronan Carroll and a free from Shane Connolly to reduce the gap to a point.
The teams then traded scores on two occasions as no team could pull away in the first half. Shane Connolly and Gareth Dunphy would get the Ballyfin scores while Conor McDonagh and Dylan Doyle would point for Ballinakill.
Ballyfin then wrestled the advantage coming up to half time with three points in a row through Eanna Lyons and two more frees from Shane Connolly to move Ballyfin into the lead.
Ballinakill responded with two in a row through Duggan and Ian Shanahan to regain the lead for Ballinakill.
Shane Connolly got the last point of the half to leave it level at the break 0-12 to 0-12.
Ballinakill came out firing in the second half and moved the ball more quickly through the lines and would blow Ballyfin away in twenty minutes.
They would hit three quick fire points through Duggan who got another two points while Ben O'Meara also got his name on the score board.
There was no stopping Ballinakill now as they clicked into gear and would hit another three in a row to stun the Ballyfin side.
Conor McDonagh, Duggan and Ethan Drury all got points to open up a six-point gap as the game got away from Ballyfin.
They would score four more points before Ballyfin got off the mark in the 50th minute. This time Duggan, Dylan Doyle, Ben O'Meara and Conor McDonagh and pointed to take the contest away from Ballyfin.
Ballyfin did get two points in a row through Ciaran Culleton and Shane Connolly, but the game was over at that stage.
There was still time for two more points from Brian Duggan and Michael Fleming got the last score of the game to maintain senior hurling for Ballinakill in 2027.
Ballinakill: Brian Duggan 0-12 (0-7fs), Conor McDonagh 0-4, Ethan Drury 0-3, Dylan Doyle and Ben O'Meara 0-2 each, Ian Shanahan and Michael Fleming 0-1 each.
Ballyfin: Shane Connolly 0-8 (0-5fs), Eanna Lyons and Ronan Carroll 0-2 each, Alan Connolly, Gareth Dunphy and Ciaran Culleton 0-1 each.
Paul Simms; Cathal O'Shaugnessy, Ian Shanhan, Noel Duggan; Andy McDonagh, Cha Dwyer, Lir McDonald; Gearoid Lynch, Ethan Drury; Ben O'Meara, Brian Duggan, Conor McDonagh; Seamus Fitzpatrick, Eddie Dwyer, Dylan Doyle.
Subs: Jamie Drury for Lynch (15m), Michael Fleming for Eddie Dwyer (52m), Oisin Quinlan for O'Neil (58m), Cillian O’Shaughnessy for
Eoin Connolly; Conall Rowney, Sean O'Neil, Sean O'Neil (The Rock); David Connolly, Alan Connolly, Ciaran Quinn; Ronan Carroll, Darragh Connolly; Shane Connolly, Eanna Lyons, Gareth Dunphy; Sean Heffernan, Ciaran Culleton, Gary Hoffmeister.
Subs: Shane Conroy for Darragh Connolly (32m).
Patrick Phelan (Castletown)
