Ballyskenagh 2008 Results

Pat Donegan reports

Tullogher, who captured the Kilkenny junior hurling championship for the fifth time with a win over Lisdowney last month carried far too much power, strength and hurling craft for the Offaly Intermediate champions.

Not unlike their county senior team, the Kilkennymen were dominant in the air and forceful in defence. Their movement the ball into attack was superior to that of the hosts, and they were slick in attack.

The black and amber vertical stripes they wore certainly wasn't the only resemblance they bore with the Kilkenny senior county side.

Led by the dominant force of Pat Hartley in the centre half back berth, their defence delivered a steady supply of ball to a mobile attack where Shane Ryan, John Barron and Walter Walsh pressed home their advantage when put in possession.

Ballyskenagh, though lining out without the suspended Derek Middleton, were boosted by the availability of Brendan Murphy but the county star struggled to make an impact on the game from his left half forward berth and was tightly marked throughout by Moling Cotterell.

'Skenagh might have been better served had they opted to move their blue-chip hurler around the field, perhaps to mid-field, where he might have seen more of the ball exerted some influence on the game by winning some breaking ball and moving at pace into the attack but they opted to leave him at left half forward for practically the entire hour as the game went on around him.

In defence, 'Skenagh were constantly on the back foot, frequently clearing under extreme pressure from defence and often forced into handpassing to static team-mates. Conseq-uently they struggled to make the necessary space in attack where they found themselves under relentless pressure in that sector also.

The rangy Walter Walsh got Tullogher off to a bright start with a sixth minute goal and his side were always in control thereafter.

Ballyskenagh did have two goal chances themselves, the first in the thirteenth minute, Tadhg Maher seeing his first shot well saved by goalkeeper Martin Roche before Maher forced the rebound wide.
Six minutes later, and still three points in arrears, 1-3 to 0-3, Ballyskenagh were awarded a twenty metre free in front of goal.

Goalkeeper Alan Franks came up to try for the goal, only to see his blasted shot parried and over the bar for a point. Ballyskenagh were not to score again in the first half as Tullogher seized the initiative and points from John Barron, Pat Hartley (free), John Barron again, a long range Moling Cotterell point, and Walter Walsh, gave Tullogher a 1-8 to 0-4 half time lead.

'Skenagh needed to get off to a flying start in the second half but it took eight minutes for the first score of the half. Morgan Lalor had seen two scoring chances from frees go a-begging before John Dooley ended the drought with a fine goal from a tight angle which give his side renewed hope.

Timmy Hennessy added a point which was immediately replied to by Eddie Conway before Morgan Lalor's point reduced the gap to three again with eighteen minutes still left.

Some frenzied play followed and although the home side never really got a grip on the game, two minutes later they were level. T

here didn't appear to be much danger when Alan Middleton gained possession twenty five metres from goal though under heavy pressure, but the mid-fielder, now operating at centre half forward, having caught the ball twice, managed to get in a shot which flew to the bottom corner of the net for a superb individual goal.

Tullogher regained the initiative though, and proceeded to hit six unanswered points as Pat Hartley cleaned up at centre half back, the powerful John Cotterell bossed midfield and Walter Walsh, now at right half forward, made his height advantage count under the dropping ball.

Pat Hartley's pointed '65' regained the lead and points followed from Richard Dollard, Eddie Conway, Shane Ryan, Walter Walsh and John Barron.

Brendan Murphy ended a Ballyskenagh drought with a point and the brilliant Hartley rounded off the scoring with a '65'.

Ballyskenagh will watch Tullogher's progress in the competition with interest. The Kilkennymen will be fancied to do well.

Tullogher were defeated in the Kilkenny Junior final in each of the last two years and watched their conquerors, Conahy and Danesfort, go on to claim the All-Ireland Junior title both years.

Scorers:
Ballyskenagh: John Dooley (1-0), Alan Middleton (1-0), Brendan Murphy (0-2), Morgan Lalor (0-2, 0-1 free), Tadhg Maher (0-1), Alan Franks (0-1, free), Timmy Hennessy (0-1).
Tullogher-Rosbercon: Walter Walsh (1-3), John Barron (0-3), Pat Hartley (0-3, 0-2 65's, 0-1 free), Shane Ryan (0-2), Eddie Conway (0-2), Liam Barron (0-1), Moling Cotterell (0-1), Richard Dollard (0-1).

Wides:
Tullogher-Rosbercon 11 (5 1st half ); Ballyskenagh 7 (3 1st half).

Cards:
Red: None. Yellow (1). Pat Hartley (52 mins).

BALLYSKENAGH: Alan Franks; Padraic Kennedy, Cathal Murphy, Tony O'Riordan; Shane Kirwan, Aidan Franks (capt), Mark Kirwan; Alan Middleton, Fergus Hannon; Morgan Lalor, Timmy Hennessy, Brendan Murphy; Tadhg Maher, John Dooley, Ronan Middleton. Subs: Noel Murphy for Ronan Middleton (22 mins), Shane Carroll for Tadhg Maher (inj, half time), Ciaran Kirwan for Shane Carroll (46 mins), Barry Keeshan for Fergus Hannon (56 mins).

TULLOGHER/ROS-BERCON. Martin Roche; John Hartley, John Grennan, Declan Grennan; Moling Cotterell, Pat Hartley (capt), Kieran Barron; John Cotterell, Liam Barron, Richard Dollard, Martin Bookle, Eddie Conway; Walter Walsh, John Barron, Shane Ryan. Subs: Michael Grennan for Declan Grennan (20 mins), Willie Ryan for Liam Barron (blood 23 – 26 mins), Eoin Mullally for Liam Barron (45 mins).

REFEREE: Barry Kelly, Westmeath.

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