SHAMROCKS had little difficulty when cruising to a comprehensive win over Ballyskenach in ideal hurling conditions at Banagher on Wednesday evening last.
Shamrocks, after an earlier win over Shinrone and a draw with Kilcormac/Killoughey, are sitting pretty at the summit of Group 1 and currently on course for an automatic quarter-final place. Their remaining fixtures are against St Rynagh's and Kinnitty.
Shamrocks featured an attack which was fleet of foot, was well able to make space for itself and received a constant supply of ball from out the field. They did, however, tend to spill possession at times and struggled to control the ball when in good attacking positions while some of their players are none too comfortable striking off their weaker side.
Nigel Dunne led the attack from full forward, prospering in the extra space available with his two corner forwards adapting withdrawn roles, scoring 1-6 from play and had a hand in all three goals.
2008 intermediate champions Ballyskenach again fielded a depleted team, lining out without their one blue chip hurler, Brendan Murphy, and while Alan and Derek Middleton led them well from centre back and midfield respectively, there were just too many gaps to be plugged in all areas of the pitch.
Ballyskenach raced into an early three point lead, Tadhg Maher, John Dooley and Derek Middleton firing over but the Shamrocks breakthrough came on the ten minute mark. Nigel Dunne rounded his marker and set off on a sixty metre run. His shot cannoned off the crossbar and Paddy Kelly was on hand to finish the rebound to the net.
A minute later Dunne was hauled down in the square when the goal was on and Derek Molloy dispatched the resultant penalty low and hard to the ‘Skenach net extending the lead to 2-2 to 0-3. Dunne then added two sublime points – one from the left, the other from the right – to open up a seven point lead on the quarter hour.
Cian Donovan did find the net in the 22nd minute for ‘Skenach but Shamrocks replied with three points from Derek Molloy, Nigel Dunne and Rory Kearney to effectively ‘get back’ the goal.
Half time arrived with the scorecard reading 2-10 to 1-6, but referee Paddy Egan somewhere awarded Ballyskenach a ‘phantom’ point, the official score reading 2-10 to 1-7.
The second half was devoid of all intensity as Shamrocks clocked up the scores at will and Ballyskenach struggled to gain any possession at all.
Cian Donovan finished a first time shot to the Shamrocks net for his second goal, but Nigel Dunne goaled at the other end soon after when he collected a sublime Brian Kearney cross, rounded his marker and finished to the net.
With a depleted team and such a small base to pick from, Ballyskenach are lining out hurlers who are out of their depth at senior level and they really need to drop down a grade. In doing so they may regain some ‘absent friends’ who don’t have the appetite for the series of hammerings they are experiencing this year.
Shamrocks will have learned little from this match that would stand them in good stead in their remaining group matches against Kinnitty and St. Rynagh’s, though there will likely be a heavy emphasis on controlling the ball at speed in their preparations for those matches.
SHAMROCKS: Shane Molloy; Karl Mollen, Jimmy Conway, Declan Conroy; Aidan Kidney, Kevin Cummins, Eoin Comerford; Derek Molloy, Darragh Minnock; Neville Coughlan, Brian Kearney, Brian Monaghan; Rory Kearney, Nigel Dunne, Paddy Kelly. Subs: Joey McEvoy for A Kidney (42 mins), Kenneth Grennan for R Kearney (50 mins), Shane Cunningham for D Molloy (58 mins).
BALLYSKENACH: Toms O’Toole; Barry Keeshan, Philip Shanahan, Cormac Franks; Ger Delaney, Alan Middleton, Padraig Kennedy; Emmett Middleton, Derek Middleton; Aidan Franks, Ollie Douglas, Tadhg Maher; Christian Clarke, John Dooley, Cian Donovan. Subs: Ollie Ryan for T O’Toole (58 mins), Gearid Kennedy for B Keeshan (60 mins).
REFEREE: Paddy Egan, Belmont.
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