Ballyclough 2-18
Gabriel Rangers 1-14
TOM LYONS REPORTS
THIS Co-op Superstores county confined junior B hurling semi-final proved just a step too far for gallant Gabriels Rangers. Ignore the final scoreline as it was only a late burst of scoring in injury time when Ballyclough hit 1-2 that ended Gabriels’ vibrant challenge in Enniskeane on Sunday.
Gabriels entered this game as underdogs but having won all their group games, they were confident of creating a surprise. It was score for score in the opening 20 minutes and it was only in the closing minutes of the half that Ballyclough opened a four-point gap, 0-11 to 0-7, by half time.
A fine third quarter saw Gabriels hitting four scores to Ballyclough’s two, but one of the winner’s scores was a goal that undid all Gabriels’ good work. The North Cork men built up a six-point lead but Gabriels refused to throw in the towel and a Paddy O’Driscoll goal in the 52nd minute helped close the deficit to a mere two points with two minutes remaining.
It was not to be for the Ballydehob/Schull/Goleen combination as the late scores saw Ballyclough through to a final meeting with Uibh Laoire.
Gabriel Rangers' Killian O'Brien in control against Ballyclough's Tom O'Neill during the Co-op Superstores Confined JBHC semi-final at Enniskeane on Sunday.
‘Coming here today nobody would have given us much of a chance but we did rattle them,’ said a disappointed but proud Gabriels’ manager Kieran O’Brien.
‘We gave our best and I can’t fault the lads. I’m disappointed, naturally, with the result but I’m not disappointed with the performance. The wides in the middle of the second half cost us as we had the momentum at that stage. It was a mirror of the first half when we really started playing midway through the half. But the misses were costly.’
Even though Seán Kelleher opened the scoring for Gabriels, it was Ballyclough who took the early initiative with points from Tom O’Neill (2), Cormac Fitzgerald and Jack Moynihan.
After that slow start, Gabriels began to get stuck in, led by Killian O’Brien, Luke Nolan, Luka Bowen, Tadhg MacCarthy, Padraig O’Regan, Seán Kelleher and Pat Nolan. Points from McCarthy, Kelleher and the lively O’Regan had the sides level, 0-4 each, by the end of the first quarter. It was point for point as in the second quarter as Shane Buckley, Kevin McDonald, David Ludgate and Tom O’Neill split the posts for Ballyclough. Padraig O’Regan, two from play, and Mark Brosnan replied for Gabriels. It was Ballyclough who finished the half on top as they added three quick points to open up a four-point gap, 0-11 to 0-7, at the break.
Gabriel Rangers' Sean T Kelleher cuts inside Ballyclough's Adam Finnegan.
Gabriels emerged more determined than ever in the third quarter and gave as good as they got as they hit the target four times in the quarter – Padraig O’Regan (three frees) and wing back Luke Nolan were on target. However, they got caught for a Ballyclough goal in the 38th minute when a turnover saw Shane Buckley racing through to billow the net. A Jack Moynihan point meant there were still four between the sides as the last quarter began.
Tom O’Neill (free) and Seán O’Leary stretched the lead to six but Gabriels weren’t wilting. When an O’Regan pointed free was followed by an opportunist goal from Paddy O’Driscoll, the lead was down to two. It was hectic stuff as the finish line loomed. Tom O’Neill (free) and Shane Buckley swapped points with Seán Kelleher and O’Driscoll. Still two in it with two minutes remaining, it was Ballyclough who grabbed the honours when O’Brien pointed a free and Damien Buckley clinched the issue with a point followed by an opportunist goal deep in injury time.
A gallant effort by Gabriels but a fifth semi-final defeat in three years was again a bitter pill to swallow.
Scorers
Ballyclough: Tom O’Neill 0-6 (5f); Shane Buckley 1-2; Damien Buckley 1-1; Seán O’Leary, Jack Moynihan 0-3 each; Kevin McDonald, Cormac Fitzgerald, David Ludgate (1f) 0-1 each.
Gabriel Rangers: Padraig O’Regan 0-7 (4f); Paddy O’Driscoll 1-1; Sean Kelleher 0-3; Luke Nolan, Tadhg McCarthy (1f), Mark Brosnan 0-1 each.
Ballyclough: Edmund O’Connor, Seán Walsh, Denis O’Neill, Colin Moynihan, Kevin McDonald, Adam Finnegan, Mark Buckley, Shane Buckley, Cormac Fitzgerald, Seán O’Leary, David Ludgate, Paul O’Flynn, Tom O’Neill, Jack Moynihan, Damien Buckley.
Gabriel Rangers: Oisín Barrett; Dermie Coughlan, Matthew Sheehan, Jack O’Driscoll; Luke Nolan, Killian O’Brien, Ronan Roycroft; Tadhg McCarthy, Luka Bowen; Padraig O’Regan, Seán Kelleher, Paddy O’Driscoll; Ciarán McCarthy, Pat Nolan, Mark Brosnan.
Sub: Donncha O’Regan for C McCarthy (44).
Referee: Anthony O’Regan (Kilbrittain).
