Ballyvarley Hurling Notes 30th April 2006
Under
14 Hurling League: Ballyvarley Vs
Castlewellan
Ballyvarley’s Under 14 hurlers
started their league campaign in
impressive fashion with a thirty-one
point win over
Castlewellan. Played at home
in excellent conditions Ballyvarley
dominated from the throw in, Patrick
Macken
winning the
sliothar before soloing in to
goal. James Kennedy added two more
soon after with long drives looping
into the net.
Kieran
Maguire and James Kennedy were
dominating at half-forward setting
up wave upon wave of
attacks,
provide the ball for James and
Patrick to goal again before Tony
Hegarty
pointed a close in free. This left
the Reds with a nineteen point
adavantage
at the break and the game was over
as a contest, with the
Castlewellan
side failing to score.
HALF-TIME: Ballyvarley
6-1
Castlewellan 0-0
Through the early stages of the
second half Ballyvarley used all
their substitutes, yet they still
camped in their opponents half.
Christopher Martin, Michael
McDermott, and Paul Cairns were
outstanding at the back, with the
latter putting in a man-of-the-match
performance.
Perhaps the score of the game came
half way through the second half.
Paul Cairns read a clearance,
lifted, drove forward past two men
and rifled over a point from the
centre of the field.
The
Ballyvarley full-forward
line were
also giving the
Castlewellan defence
problems. First time pulls from
Martin Connolly were unlucky to not
find the net, with
Ciaran
Heaney and Patrick McNally not
allowing the visitors backs to
settle.
Some
memorable scores in the second
period included a 50 yard free being
pointed by Paul Cairns; a forty yard
solo and goal from James Kennedy;
and a Tony
Hegarty goal where he side
stepped two men, drove through and
hit the net.
Castlewellan
did get a consolation goal near the
end yet they still suffered a heavy
defeat.
FULL-TIME:
Ballyvarley 9-7
Castlewellan
1-0
It was
a fine Ballyvarley performance
against a weak
Castlewellan. There were good
displays from Kieran Maguire,
Cathal
McGrath, Michael McAllister and
James Kennedy with Paul
Cairns, Christopher Martin
and Michael McDermott particularly
prominent.
Ballyvarley’s next game is a stern
test. They face this years Under 14
Feile
winners Bredagh
in
Belfast,
and the Reds know they will have to
show a marked improvement against
them.
Ballyvarley
Under 14 team:
Michael McAllister, Paul
Colgan,
Michael McDermott,
Cathal
McGrath, Christopher Martin, Paul
Cairns (0-3),
Conor Strain, Thomas
McKernan,
Patrick Macken
(2-0), James Kennedy (4-1), Kieran
Maguire (0-1), Shane
McAreavey,
Tony Hegarty
(3-2), Owen Carlisle, Martin
Connolly. Subs: Michael McKay,
Patrick McNally,
Conor
McShane,
Ciaran
Heaney, Aidan
McKernan,
Eoin
McNally, Ciaron
Davis, Thomas Carlisle.
Senior
Hurling League:
Bredagh
Vs Ballyvarley
Ballyvarley senior hurlers made the
trip to Belfast and the Cherryvale
Playing Fields last week to face a
strong Bredagh
side.
The
game started late and Ballyvarley
were slow to get into the game, with
Bredagh
cracking over five early points
without reply. As the half went on,
so the Reds came more in it, closing
Bredagh
down and setting up some attacks of
their own. John O’Neill and Michael
Cairns impressed with their desire
to be infront
and some good clearances.
Finally the Reds got on the
scoresheet,
Martin O’Neill holding off a few
challenges, soloing and putting over
from the left and the right before
putting over a pointed free from 45
yards out. There were two points in
it at this stage and
Bredagh
were under pressure. However they
broke quickly to goal and then add
two quick points. Ballyvarley never
gave up, and goaled themselves
before the break. Good work from
Sean O’Neill saw the ball fall to
Niall Savage who flicked the ball to
the net from close in. This left a
goal in it at the break and the wind
in Ballyvarley’s favour in the
second period.
HALF-TIME:
Bredagh 1-6
Ballyvarley 1-3
On the
restart Ballyvarley squandered a few
chances to get back into the game
before Bredagh
added two more points to their
tally. Bredagh
shored up their defence by moving
impressive ex-county hurler Danny
Hughes to centre full back. The Reds
were competing well though, with
Eunan
McConville
pointing under pressure, and a good
pass from Sean O’Neill allowed
Conor
Grew to drive through and goal.
With
five minutes to go
their was
a single point in it. Ballyvarley
pressed for the equaliser with goal
chances going a begging in the home
sides
box. Hampered with a number of
walking wounded, the Reds could not
get the killer score and indeed
Bredagh
went up the field and goaled
themselves.
This
knocked the heart out of the locals
and despite battling to the final
whistle,
the home side added a few more
points to give them a greater margin
of victory.
FULL-TIME:
Bredagh 2-12
Ballyvarley 2-4
Despite the eight point defeat,
Ballyvarley were still in it to the
death. James McGrath was excellent
as stand-in goalkeeper saving some
certain goals; Michael Cairns and
David Lavery
put in a good defensive display,
Sean Kennedy did well at midfield,
while Martin O’Neill, David McGovern
and Eunan
McConville
impressed upfront. With a growing
list of injured players Ballyvarley
will need the
committment displayed in this
game, and every squad member in
their next two home games, starting
with Ballycran.
Ballyvarley Team
Brian
Donald, Cathal
O’Neill, Michael Cairns, Thomas
Lennon, David
Lavery,
Colm O’Neill, John O’Neill,
Sean Kennedy,
Eunan
McConville (0-1), Martin
O’Neill (0-3),
Ciaran Connolly,
Conor
Grew (1-0), David McGovern, Sean
O’Neill, Niall Savage (1-0). Subs:
Hugh O’Neill.
Ballyvarley Hurling Notes
Ballyvarley’s
under 14 hurlers got their
league underway last week. They
entertained
Castlewellan, beating them
convincingly by 9-7 to 1-0. The
Under 14 hurlers go to
Bredagh
on Wednesday 3rd May,
which will be a stern test for the
Reds. Players are asked to be at
Ballyvarley field at
5.40pm sharp with a 7pm throw in at
Cherryvale Playing Fields.
Congratulations to Paul O’Neill and
James McDermott who made the Down
Under 16 Hurling Panel.
The
Ballyvarley/Ballela joint Minor
Hurling team had a great win when
they travelled to Liatroim recently
in their first game in the Down
Minor Hurling League. The lads won
on a score-line of 3-12 to 2-9 with
a strong team performance given by
the whole team. Their next game is
away to Warrenpoint on Monday 8th
May.
Coaching for the under 10 and 12
hurlers is switching to Friday
nights. It will run from
7.15pm to 8.30pm at
Newbridge
Integrated School,
Loughbrickland.
The first session at this new time
and venue will be on Friday 5th
May.
Ballyvarley seniors had a tough
match against
Bredagh during the week.
There was only a point in it going
into the last 5 minutes, before
Bredagh
pulled away for a win. The seniors
next game is at home to
Ballycran
on Tuesday 9th
May (throw in at
7pm), with a home game the
following week against
Clonduff.
Sent
in by Colm
O’Neill (Ballyvarley HC Hurling PRO)
