Extra time surge sees Clough/Ballacolla overwhelm Ballinakill
Willie Dunphy (Clough/Ballacolla) looking to keep this sliotar alive with Cathal O'Shaughnessy (Ballinakill) competing Photo: Denis Byrne
REIGNING champions Clough/Ballacolla got the better of Ballinakill on Sunday afternoon in the first of the two senior hurling championship semi-finals set for the decider in Laois Hire O’Moore Park.
Ballinakill were looking to book their place in their first senior final since 1979 but it was not to be.
Clough/Ballacolla hadn’t taken to field in this competition since the 5 September having topped their group with that all important win over The Harps.
On Sunday the 2024 champions took complete control in extra time and outscored Ballinakill 1-9 to 0-3, leaving nine separating them in the end.
Cha Dwyer opened the scoring from a placed ball with Ben O’Mara pointing moments later. Clough/Ballacolla replied with 1-3, Jordan Walshe opened his account and Stephen Bergin likewise. Willie Dunphy pointed a fine score after dispossessing Ian Shanahan at the sideline. Aidan Corby played a ball into Cillian Dunne who turned him man and shot, Paul Simms denied him, but Dunphy was on hand to fire in the rebound.
Cha Dywer pointed a second free with Diarmaid Conway landing a super score over the black spot. Ballinakill pointed three with no reply, courtesy of Ryan Quinlan, Sean Downey, and Ethan Drury which narrowed the gap to one. Clough/Ballacolla cancelled out their spree when Mark Hennessy flicked the ball to Bergin who made no mistake in finding the back of the net.
Brian Duggan and Bergin traded points while Cha Dwyer pointed from a placed ball. Aidan Corby found himself a pocket of space and shot for goal, but Simms pulled off a fine save giving Clough/Ballacolla a 65 which Bergin put between the posts. Cha Dywer added another free to his tally while two Bergin frees and a point from Dunne put six between them.
Ballinakill finished the stronger as O’Mara added his second of the game with Cha Dwyer firing over his fifth and sixth free. A shot from Seamus Fitzpatrick was unlucky to strike the crossbar but the loose ball was worked to Duggan who pointed the final score of the half leaving the gap at two at half-time, 2-9 to 0-13.
The first four scores of the second half were traded with Duggan and Cha Dwyer pointing for Ballinakill and Bergin with two frees for Clough/Ballacolla. Simms stepped up with another fine save from a Dunphy rocket shot. Fitzpatrick brought the game level and a minute later put his side ahead raising two white flags.
Bergin pointed a free from his own 65’ with Downey replying down the other end before Bergin pointed another two free to push his side one point ahead with seven minutes to play. Cha Dwyer split the posts from a placed ball to bring the sides level again. A cross-field ball into Dunne saw him face to face with Simms but Patrick Phelan pulled him for over carrying as the ball headed for the net. Neither side were able to convert the all-important winner with poor wides from both sending the game for extra time.
Aidan Corby pointed the first score of extra time while Hennessy found Dunne to raise their third green flag only a minute later. Cha Dwyer pointed a free while the same man found Jamie Drury with a sideline puck but a goal stopping block was pulled off by Eoin Doyle to deny him the opportunity. Dunne added a fourth from play and Padraigh Brennan added him name to the scoresheet. Gearoid Lynch pointed the final score of the first period.
A free converted by Cha Dwyer in the first minute of the second half of extra time remained their final score of the game as Clough/Ballacolla took control and fired over six points to end the game. Five of these came from the hurl of Dunne, three from frees while Kevin Mulhall also chipped in to give them a nine-point win at the final whistle.
Stephen Bergin 1-10 (0-7fs, 0-1 65), Cillian Dunne 1-8 (0-3fs), Willie Dunphy 1-1, Kevin Mulhall, Aidan Corby, Jordan Walshe and Diarmaid Conway 0-1 each.
Cha Dwyer 0-11 (0-10fs), Brian Duggan 0-3, Seamus Fitzpatrick, Ben O’Mara, and Sean Downey 0-2 each, Ryan Quinlan, Ethan Drury, and Gearoid Lynch 0-1 each.
Cathal Dunne; Diarmaid Conway, Darren Maher, Joseph Pearson; Cormac Hogan, Lee Cleere, Brian Corby; Aidan Corby, Kevin Mulhall; Mark Hennessy, Jordan Walshe, Joe Corby; Cillian Dunne, Willie Dunphy, Stephen Bergin.
Lochlainn Conway for Cleere (ht), Eoin Doyle for J Corby (ht), Padraigh Brennan for B Corby (43m), Kevin Hyland for Bergin (HT, ET), Sean Corby for Hennessy (76m, ET), Brian Corby for Dunphy (78m, ET).
Paul Simms; Lir McDonald, Ian Shanahan, Andrew McDonagh; Cian O'Shaughnessy, Gearoid Lynch, Podge Lawlor; Cha Dwyer, Sean Downey; Ben O'Mara, Seamus Fitzpatrick, Ethan Drury; Brian Duggan, Eddie Dwyer, Ryan Quinlan.
Cathal O'Shaughnessy for McDonagh (54m), Jamie Drury for Quinlan (60m), Dylan Byrne Gray for O'Mara (ht, ET), Eoin Simms for McDonald (76m, ET) Referee: Patrick Phelan (Castletown)
