Gabriel Rangers 1-11

Ballyphehane 3-5

TOM LYONS REPORTS

GOALS usually win games and when Ballyphehane hit two in the space of a minute midway through the second half, it looked like curtains for Gabriel Rangers who were playing against the breeze.

While the westerners dug deep in the closing quarter, it looked all in vain when a fiercely determined city side took the lead in injury time.

There was time for one more attack by Gabriels. When they were awarded a free 40 metres out in front of goal, up stepped midfielder Tadhg McCarthy. He had converted three frees in the first half, none in the second, but when the need was greatest, he delivered, splitting the posts to rescue a draw.

Ballyphehane protests that he had fouled the ball as he lifted it were waved away by the referee, who blew the final whistle on the puckout.

‘We were down a lot of lads today, you could see from the jersey numbers that we were missing nearly half the players 1 to 15,’ said Gabriels mentor Ronan Roycroft.

‘We’re not doing much hurling at present. We’re an hour and a half from the city and most of us live up there. We had 18 lads here today and 11 of those are living in the city.

‘We’re primarily a football club and trying to fit in both when you’re away from home isn’t easy. A lot of wides in the first half because our touch wasn’t right, lack of hurling practice. That’s where we’re falling down.

‘We lost the semi-final to Ballyclough last season and our target is to go further this year. We won our first game and are almost through to the knock-out stages now. We need to push it on if we want to keep hurling alive in the club.’

In the end a draw was a fair result on a miserable day for hurling in Enniskeane on Sunday afternoon, as the cold wintry showers certainly didn’t help the standard of play.

Gabriel Rangers' Killian O'Brien in action.

With the elements, Gabriels dominated the first half but their wide count reached double digits. They did manage eight points, only three of which came from play, but at the other end, Ballyphehane had only one score to show for their efforts, a goal in the fifth minute from Alex Cummins.

Five of Gabriels’ points came from placed balls, three from Tadhg McCarthy and one each from Luke Nolan and Keith O’Driscoll. Seán Kelleher and O’Driscoll (2) had points from play. Their five-point lead at the break, 0-8 to 1-0, looked sufficient against a very limited Ballyphehane attack.

It was a different city side that emerged in the second half, grabbing control of the middle third but a hard-working Gabriels’ defence limited them to two points from Zach Walsh and Cian Shannon (free).

An O’Driscoll point meant Gabriels still led by four as the third quarter drew to a close but then Ballyphehane’s increasing pressure finally told. They struck for two goals in the 43rd and 44th minutes. When Cian Shannon was fouled in the square, sub Craig Murphy lashed home the penalty shot. From the puckout, Ballyphehane were back in, with Dylan Holland finishing to the net. Now they led 3-2 to 0-9.

The game exploded into life as Gabriels refused to wilt. Luke Nolan pointed a 65 to cut the gap. In the 50th minute another Nolan free was batted out by the goalkeeper and Seán Kelleher was on hand to first-time it to the net. Now Gabriels were two points to the good and it was Ballyphehane’s turn to show their battling qualities. Sub Dean Crinnion landed a point. In the 58th minute, it was all square when their best player, Zach Walsh, drove over the equaliser.

When another sub, Owen Twomey, raised a white flag the honours looked destined to be heading to the city. It was not to be as McCarthy proved the Gabriels’ hero with his last- gasp equalising free.

This draw means both sides are level at the top of their group with three points each and draws for both in their last games, Gabriels against Rathpeacon and Ballyphehane against Laochra Óg, will see them through to the knock-out stages.

Best for Gabriels were Ryan McSweeney, Matt Sheehan, Killian O’Brien and Adam Sheehan in defence, Luke Nolan and Tadhg McCarthy at midfield, and Keith O’Driscoll, Eric O’Brien and Seán Kelleher in attack.

OUR STAR: Keith O’Driscoll was the player who carried the Gabriels’ challenge all through, hitting four points.

Scorers

Gabriel Rangers: Seán Kelleher 1-1; Keith O’Driscoll (1f), Tadhg McCarthy (4f) 0-4 each; Luke Nolan 0-2 (1f, 1 65).

Ballyphehane: Alex Cummins, Olan Connolly, Craig Murphy (pen) 1-0 each; Zach Walsh 0-2 (1f); Dean Crinnion, Owen Twomey, Cian Shannon (1f) 0-1 each.

Gabriel Rangers: Ryan McSweeney; Liam Hodnett, Matt Sheehan, Chris McSweeney; Adam Sheehan, Killian O’Brien, Oisín Barrett; Luke Nolan, Tadhg McCarthy; Ciarán McCarthy, Eric O’Brien, Lorcan O’Brien; Seán Kelleher, Keith O’Driscoll, Paddy O’Regan.

Sub: Jack Arnold for P O’Regan (52).

Ballyphehane: Mikey Culhane; Timmy Walsh, Thomas O’Sullivan, Ben O’Gorman; Brian Horgan, Craig Noonan, Fionn Long; Dylan Holland, Adam O’Donoghue; Cian McCarthy, Cian Shannon, Zach Walsh; Danny Kiely, Olan Connolly, Alex Cummins.

Subs: Tristan O’Connor for A Cummins (15), Owen Twomey for C Noonan (22), Dean Crinnion for T O’Sullivan (40), Craig Murphy for O Connolly (42), Alex Cummins for C Murphy (56).

Referee: Anthony O’Regan (Kilbrittain).