Granagh-Ballingarry secure vital win over Garryspillane in Limerick Premier intermediate hurling championship:
By John Redington Limerick Leader Sport
“WE HAD been waiting for a performance after being edged out in our two opening games and it was fitting we delivered it tonight to honour a great Ballingarry man Denny Ahern.”
Postponed from last weekend because of the passing of the team’s sponsor, manager Micheál Clancy was echoing the sentiments of everyone associated with Granagh-Ballingarry as their premier intermediate hurlers got their championship campaign back on track with a thrilling 2-20 to 2-17 third-round victory over previously unbeaten Garryspillane in Kilmallock on Wednesday evening.
His side’s determination was evident right from the throw-in, running up a rapid-fire lead of four points while their opponents struggled to find their stride and kept on harrying the Bouncers into shooting 11 wides before the break.
When they were given the opportunity to settle, Garryspillane managed to draw themselves back into contention, most notably in the closing minutes when they clawed the gap back to two points but, with the hot-shot duo of Seán O’Connor, and Luke Flynn racking up 2-15 between them, they were unable to derail Granagh-Ballingarry’s journey to victory.
The result throws the premier intermediate championship wide open again after it had appeared that three of the eight contestants were well on the road to the semi-finals while Granagh looked as if they were sliding towards a fight to stave off relegation.
Now just unbeaten Newcastlwest lead the table with the other seven sides all bunched after dropping either two points or four points as the group phase enters a two-week break.
While possession was even enough at the start, the same couldn’t be said for finishing as Flynn, O’Connor’s free, Darragh Casey and O’Connor all found the target for Granagh-Ballingarry while the Bouncers’ first five efforts all went wide.
Even when Callum Sheehan finally got them off the mark, the score was replied to by Damien O’Donovan’s point. However, they hauled themselves back into contact when Ryan Tobin reached high to collect the sliotar, before turning and blasting the sliotar through the tip of Denis O’Connor’s outstretched hurley and into the corner of the net.
After an exchange of points between Cathal O’Keeffe and a Shane Ryan free, Granagh-Ballingarry stepped on the gas going into the second quarter with O’Connor’s point being followed by Eoin Lynch seeing his shot crash back off the crossbar before then gaining compensation for his next strike on the woodwork which rebounded for Flynn to whip over the line and into the net.
A pair of O’Connor pointed frees further punished the unsettled Garryspillanne line-up but they finally showed some composure through Ryan’s pointed free, and scores from Bryan Heavey and Ciarán Sheehan.
Despite an O’Connor point from a free breaking the sequence, Calum Sheehan and Colin Ryan tacked on another pair of points before Flynn’s reply ended the first-half scoring to leave his side with a lead of 1-11 to 1-7.
Heavey’s point straight from the throw-in put the second half into motion only to surpassed by a pair of O’Connor pointed frees before he pointed again to restore the gap to four points.
However, the Bouncers’ wides tally continued to mount and they were punished on the double when Lynch pressured the clearance and O’Connor was on hand to whip home Granagh-Ballingarry’s second goal.
Heavey and Ciarán Sheehan replied with points, only to be cancelled out by an O’Connor pointed free and Lynch’s point going into the final quarter. However, Garryspillane threw everyone forward and were rewarded inside two minutes by an enormous pointed free from Dylan O’Shea followed by the same player sending over a pair of points from inside his own half.
However, Garryspillane were leaving spaces open at the back, leaving Casey with a point and a pair of O’Connor pointed frees and one from play from Flynn to stretch the Granagh-Ballingarry advantage to eight points with just five regulation minutes to go.
Just as if it looked as if the Bouncers had shot their bolt, Shane Ryan pounced on a long free drifting into the goalmouth, pulling on the sliotar which flew into the net.
Adding to the last hurrah, Ryan then tacked on a pointed free, which was was followed by O’Shea pointing from a free and from play from halfway. However, going into added time, the search for salvation stalled and left O’Donovan’s closing score to push Granagh-Ballingarry over the finish line.
SCORERS: GRANAGH-BALLINGARRY: Seán O’Connor 1-11 (0-9 frees), Luke Flynn 1-4, Darragh Casey, Damian O’Donovan 0-2 each, Cathal O’Keeffe 0-1; GARRYSPILLANE: Shane Ryan 1-3 (3 frees), Dylan O’Shea 0-5 (2 frees), Bryan Heavey 0-4, Ryan Tobin 1-0, Callum Sheehan, Ciarán Sheehan 0-2 each, Colin Ryan 0-1.
GRANAGH-BALLINGARRY: Denis O’Connor; Eoghan Casey, John Kealy, Brian Sheehy; Ronan Mullins, Jack Cagney, Colm Noonan; Josh Mulcaire-Quille, Darragh Casey; Mike Russell, Cathal O’Keeffe, Seán O’Connor; Damian O’Donovan, Luke Flynn, Eoin Lynch. SUBS: Seán Murphy for Colm Noonan (58 minutes), Paudie Murphy for Cathal O’Keeffe (61 minutes).
GARRYSPILLANE: Adam sheehan; Declan Heavey, Robert Sampson, Ciarán sheehan; Jjamie Morrissey, Dylan O’Sheas, Josh Dineen; Eoin O’Mahony, Mark Quinlan; Peter Morrissey, Bryan Heavey, Shane Ryan; Callum Sheehan, Colin Ryan, Ryan Tobin. SUBS: Roibeard Donovan for Josh Dineen (45 minutes), Jamie McGrath for Peter Morrissey (49 minutes).
REFEREE: David Deady (Bruree).