Senior Hurling – Challenge Cup

Despite the closeness of the scoring, Kilruane were always in control of this game, played in testing conditions in O’Sullivan Park, Ballingarry. To the home side’s credit they kept plugging away and four late points, after MacDonaghs had emptied the bench, left the minimum between the sides at the finish. Kilruane began impressively and had the opening score when Eoin Williams knifed through the Ballingarry defence and laid off the sliotar to Shane Quinlan who finished to the net with aplomb. Inside the first quarter, Kilruane raced into a 1-6 to 0-1 lead as their forwards combined well and stretched the home defence. Richard Butler had Ballingarry’s lone score in this period. Matters could have been worse as Ballingarry keeper James Logue had denied Eoin Williams a certain goal with a great save. In the second quarter as MacDonaghs slackened, Ballingarry got a foothold in the game. Philip Ivors helped himself to three points and at the break the score was 1-10 to 0-6 in favour of the visitors.

Ballingarry hit the first two points of the second half and Shane Quinlan responded with a white flag at the other end. This established the pattern for the remainder of the game. Anytime Ballingarry threatened to close the gap, Kilruane were capable of an immediate reply. James Logue kept Ballingarry in the game with a brilliant save from Brian O’Meara and Kilruane also spurned another green flag. The game looked like fizzling out to its inevitable conclusion until the late flurry of Ballingarry points, including three from placed balls by Philip Ivors, almost caught MacDonaghs napping.

Kilruane MacDonaghs: Thomas Williams, Freddie Williams, Diarmuid Cahill, Eoin Hogan, Willie Cleary, Kieran Cahill, Éanna Hogan, Alan Darcy, Kevin Ryan (0-1), Brian O’Meara (0-4),Jonathan Cahill, Mark O’Leary (0-5), Eoin Williams (0-3), Shane Quinlan (1-2) and James Williams (0-1). Subs: Pat Conway for Kieran Cahill, Liam Gibson for Diarmuid Cahill, Justin Cahill for Alan Darcy, Declan Barrett for Brian O’Meara and Conor Cleary for Jonathan Cahill.
Ballingarry: James Logue, Daniel Fitzgerald, Eamon Cahill, Brian Cooney, Dickie Norton, Ian Ivors, Kevin Fitzgerald, Gerard Fitzgerald, Jack Fennellly, Richard Butler, Daniel Fennelly, Gerard Fennelly, Eamonn Tuohy, Philip Ivors and Paul Butler.

Ref: John Ryan (Cashel)