Goals either side of halftime give Ballyfin the momentum to see off Camross challenge and advance to the final
Ballyfin's Ronan Carroll makes room for himself as he heads for the Camross goal in their PIHC semi-final win Photo: Paul Dargan
BALLYFIN recorded an impressive nine-point victory over Camross on Saturday evening in Borris-In-Ossory to advance to the Laois Shopping Centre Premier IHC final.
To say the conditions were not conducive to good hurling would bee an understatement. But Ballyfin made light of the bad weather and were well on their way to the final long before the referee blew the full time whistle.
Ballyfin got off to a good start with a Gareth Dunphy free and a point from Darragh Connolly.
But with just five minutes on the clock, the eventual; winners suffered a harsh blow. While attempting to clear the sliotar, goalkeeper Eoin Connolly saw his effort blocked down and Niall Bennett had the simplest of tasks in tabbing the sliotar to the net.
Ballyfin reacted in the best way possible, rattling off four points on the trot. Dunphy converted a 65 and a free with Shane Connolly and Ronan Carroll on target from play.
Niall Bennett pulled a point for Camross in the 20th minute and followed with points from David Mortimer (2) and Kevin Byrne.
Approaching the break, Ballyfin got the score that might just have won them the game when Gareth Dunphy picked out Shane Connolly and he rattled the net.
Max Connolly and Gareth Dunphy added to Ballyfin’s tally to leave them leading 1-11 to 1-4 at half time.
Darragh Connolly and Ronan Carroll extended that lead on the restart. And when Shane Connolly scored his second goal eight minutes into the new half the game was effectively over.
To their credit this team, like all Camross teams, did not give up and went in search of goals. Oisin Bennett had two good efforts denied by two outstanding saves by Connolly.
Matthew Collier, Darrell Dooley and Oisin Bennett added a few points while David Mortimer was on target five times.
But they needed goals and the Ballyfin defence were super in the closing stages. Ballyfin wound up am impressive display with points from Gareth Dunphy, Eanna Lyons and Jack Heffernan.
The question now is when will the final will actually be played. The other semi-final featuring Mountmellick and Rathdowney/Errill was postponed on Saturday following an appeal to the DRA by Colt-Shanahoe over their quarter-final defeat to Rathdowney/Errill. The outcome of that appeal is not known yet.
Shane Connolly 2-3, Gareth Dunphy 0-8 (0-6fs, 0-1 65), Darragh Connolly and Ronan Carroll 0-2 each, Max Connolly, Eanna Lyons and Jack Heffernan 0-1 each.
David Mortimer 0-7 (0-5fs), Niall Bennett 1-1, Kevin Byrne, Matthew Collier, Darrell Dooley and Oisin Bennett 0-1 each.
Eoin Connolly; Sean O’Neill, Conall Rowney, Sean O’Neill; James Finn, David Connolly, Max Connolly; Eanna Lyons, Darragh Connolly; Eamon Duff, Gareth Dunphy, Jack Heffernan; Allan Connolly, Ronan Carroll, Shane Connolly.
Chris Dunne, Ciaran Culleton, Dylan Kelly, Darragh Lyons, George Lanham.
Thomas Dunphy; Michael Phelan, Daniel Breen, Scott Coyle; Lorcan Burke, Matthew Collier, Conor Mortimer; Kevin Byrne, Rob Delaney; Oisin Bennett, Aaron Carroll, Craig Carroll, Robert Lalor, Niall Bennett, David Mortimer.
Emmet Bergin, Darrell Dooley, Josh Hynes.
Patrick Phelan (Castletown)
