Offaly S.H. Semi-Final
As has been the case so often in the past, Drumcullen and Coolderry will meet in this year’s senior hurling final, and unless there is a big improvement in the Drumcullen team from Sunday’s performance, Coolderry will certainly retain their title when they meet in Birr on September 8th.
While the score suggests an easy win, Drumcullen’s display in overcoming Ballyskenach at Birr on Sunday was anything but satisfactory.
The game was one which players on both sides and spectators alike will want to forget. The players for their listless displays and the spectators for the thorough wetting most of them got. The football game between Tullamore (winners) and St. Rynagh’s which preceded it, was played in brilliant sunshine, but just after the start of the hurling game the skies opened and it rained incessantly right through the match, sending spectators scurrying for shelter behind walls and in cars.
Heavy Rain
Naturally, conditions for hurling were terrible, and of the two teams Ballyskenach seemed to suffer more from the conditions. With good victories over Shinrone and Birr, it was thought they would put up a better show, but as in last year’s semi-final, they fell away to the challenge of the Drumcullen men, when Paddy Molloy had sent home a 21 yards free all the way to the net in the opening minutes of the second half, there was only one team in it. Drumcullen continued to pile on scores in this half, with scorer-in-chief Paddy Molloy (4-3 was his total for the half), the engineering factor.
In this half, Ballyskenach made a disastrous move in switching their centre halfback, Gerry Kirwan. Gerry, who must surely be the finest player in the county, was the complete master of Paddy Molloy in the first half, and the decision of the selectors to change him, when one considers the harm Molloy did afterwards was, to say the least, astonishing.
Missed Chances
While the second half was definitely Drumcullen’s the first half belonged to Ballyskenach, and 1-2 was hardly a creditable score for their efforts. In fact, in the first ten minutes, there were scores, yes and goals too, which went a begging, but untold missed chances by the forwards saw nothing come of them. Play in this half was, for the most part, in the Drumcullen half and with Gerry Kirwan keeping Paddy Molloy quiet, it looked as if a surprise result was in store. However, it was not to be, and after the interval panic and fear seemed to become part of the Ballyskenach make-up for the day.
Marching Orders
The game, though tough and hard at times was played in a sporting manner. Referee John Dowling, Tullamore, did, however, see fit to march a player from each side to the line near the end of the game, Camillus Rigney (Drumcullen) and Sonny Keeshan (Ballyskenach).
Drumcullen opened the scoring (their only flag raiser for the half) in the 3rd minute when L. Carroll pointed. Ballyskenach were awarded a free from the 70 yards line when Drumcullen J.P. Byrne came outside the parallelogram to puck out a ball, and Gerry Kirwan equalised. Ballyskenach attacked again, and the Drumcullen goal had a few narrow escapes before Billy McLoughlin goaled in the 10th minute. Now on top, the “border” side failed to increase their score and the other flag raised in this half was a white one from Eddie Franks, leaving Ballyskenach leading 1-2 to 0-1 at the interval. Two goals in as many minutes from Paddy Molloy after the resumption set Drumcullen off on their “never to be caught” track. L. Carroll added another and scores from Molloy (2-3) and T. Butler (1-0) completed their total.
Best for the winners were P. Bracken, W. Spain, J. Ducy, P. Molloy, L. Carroll, while J. Dooley (in goals), G. Kirwan, D. Walsh, E. Delaney and E. Franks tried hard for Ballyskenach.
Teams
Drumcullen – JP Byrnes, P. Lyons, P. Bracken, S. Byrnes, W. Spain, S. Rigney, F. O’Brien, J. Duffy, W. Gath, L. Barry, P. Molloy, L. Carroll, T. Butler, T. Nugent, C. Rigney
Ballyskenagh – J. Dooley, S. Hogan, P. Dooley, D. Walsh, J. Keeshan, G. Kirwan, S. Keeshan, E. Delaney, P. McLoughlin, E. Franks. R. Franks, T Kirby, M. O’Shea, W. McLoughlin, J. Bolger.
Referee: Mr. J. Dowling (Tullamore)