Ballyvarley Notes - 16th May 2006
Senior
Hurling League
Ballyvarley Vs
Ballycran
Ballyvarley’s senior hurlers
entertained
Ballycran at the weekend.
Ballyvarley seniors
lost at home to
Ballycran, 0-13 to 5-13,
however, the score line does not
tell the whole story as the Reds
were in this contest for a lot of
the game.
The
seniors got off to the worst
possible start conceding two goals
in the opening two minutes. After
this major setback Ballyvarley
started to play with some fine
scores. First Paul O’Neill put a
left side drive over from an acute
angle and then
Ciaran Connolly took on the
Ballycran
defence before slotting over. The
locals traded points with their
opponents and eagerly contested
every ball, yet the hurlers from the
Ards had
the speed and guile upfront to
increase their tally as well as a
solid backline.
James
McGrath, Pat McGrath and David
Lavery
were playing well for Ballyvarley at
the back and as they grew in
confidence with every minute,
Ballyvarley came more into it. Sean
Kennedy began to win some possession
round the middle, and Martin O’Neill
and David McGovern went through a
lot of work upfront to craft
points-a-piece, David’s a typical
forceful run through the
Ballycran
defence before striking between the
uprights. James added an excellent
sixty five before the break to leave
the home side trailing by seven
points.
HALF-TIME: Ballyvarley 0-7
Ballycran
2-8
The
second half started in quick fire
fashion with points-a-piece traded,
James McGrath pointing Ballyvarley’s
from a free. Young Paul O’Neill
added a second for the Reds with a
lift, turn and drive that sailed
over, before David McGovern placed
two points between the sticks both
under severe pressure from the
Ballycran
defence.
Ballyvarley were determined to make
a game of it, and were then cruelly
deflated when the visitors scrambled
in two goals in a five minute spell.
The home side rallied with a Martin
O’Neill pointed free and a point
from the far right from his namesake
Paul, but the damage was already
done. Credit to the locals the
scrapped to the final whistle
against the
pacey
Ballycran forwards, and had a
few goal opportunities yet they
failed to convert them with
Ballycran
worthy winners.
FULL-TIME: Ballyvarley 0-13
Ballycran
5-13
Ballyvarley fought hard against a
very good, young and skilful
Ballycran
team. A number of injuries, work and
exam commitments has not helped the
seniors cause in the last few weeks,
but there were signs of that
Ballyvarley can play some good
hurling during the last few games.
James McGrath put
a good
performances in at the back,
while David McGovern, Martin
O’Neill, Paul O’Neill and
Ciaran
Connolly all showed well. Next game
is away to
Ballygalget on Tuesday 23rd
May.
Ballyvarley Team
Brian
Donald, Pat McGrath, James McGrath
(0-2), Cathal
O’Neill, David
Lavery,
Colm O’Neill, John O’Neill,
Eunan
McConville,
Sean Kennedy, Paul O’Neill (0-4),
Martin O’Neill (0-3), David McGovern
(0-3), Ciaran
Connolly (0-1),
Conor Grew, Sean O’Neill.
Subs: Niall Savage, Rory McGrath.
Under 16 Hurling League
Ballyvarley Vs Ballela
Ballyvarley’s Under 16s
had a good win over local rivals
Ballela at the weekend. The Reds’
had a good three point win at home
with both teams coping well with the
slippery conditions and playing some
great hurling.
The early exchanges saw
numerous changes fall to the
Ballyvarley attack as they piled on
the pressure. Some good defending
from Shannon
Drainey and Paddy
McCambridge,
and solid goalkeeping from Kelvin
Magee kept the game scoreless. With
the failure to take these scoring
opportunities the home side were
punished as Ballela goaled and added
a point soon after. Ballyvarley came
storming back with Paul O’Neill
winning the ball in his own half and
soloing the length of the field,
before cutting in and despatching
the sliothar
to the net. Paul added two pointed
frees,
the latter from 70 yards out.
The game was developing
into a real contest where possession
was fiercely fought for all over the
field. Ballela were winning the
midfield battle and this allowed
them to push on and add a goal and
two points in a ten minute spell.
Ballyvarley never gave up and Paul
O’Neill went on another mazy run to
rattle the net, and send the two
sides in at the break with the Reds
trailing by the minimum.
HALF-TIME:
Ballyvarley 2-2
Ballela 2-3
Ballyvarley made some
changes at the break with Paul
O’Neill moving from half-back to
midfield and James McDermott moving
to half-back with
Conor
McClorey
taking the half-forward berth. The
moves produced instant dividends, as
Paul was able to get forward more
soloing in for two early points.
Ballela replied with a point of
their own yet the Reds were in the
ascendancy with O’Neill adding two
more points, one from a 30 yard
free.
Then came the score of
the match, Ballyvarley’s James
McDermott receiving the ball deep in
defence, drove the ball over the bar
from inside his own 50 yard line. A
few minutes later, Christopher
Martin got the match clinching
score, when he evaded his Ballela
marker and goaled from close in.
Ballela came back at the
home side but
Colm Madden, Jamie Murray,
Paul Cairns and the impressive James
McDermott were holding firm sending
priceless long clearances out of
defence. James added another great
long range
point, before Paul O’Neill
pointed two more 40 yard frees to
increase Ballyvarley’s lead to nine
points.
The
visitors rallied in the latter
stages with
Ballela’s Paddy
McCambridge
battling through to goal and Michael
Downey showing sharp finishing to
hit a deflected shot into the net.
It was, however, to be Ballyvarley’s
day with a good three point win.
FULL-TIME:
Ballyvarley 3-11
Ballela 4-5
This was a good free
flowing hurling game with both teams
contributing to a good contest.
Shannon Drainey,
Paddy
McCambridge, Kelvin Magee and
Michael Downey were particularly
good for Ballela; while for
Ballyvarley James Kennedy performed
well in nets;
Colm Madden, Jamie Murray and
Paul Cairns were good at the back
with James McDermott and Paul
O’Neill very impressive putting in
tireless displays. Ballyvarley’s
next game is at home this Friday (19th
May) against a strong Warrenpoint
side.
Ballyvarley
Under 16 team:
James
Kennedy, Jamie Murray, Paul Cairns,
Paul O’Neill (2-8),
Colm
Madden, Conor
McClorey,
Leigh
McConville, Kieran Maguire,
Sean Savage, James McDermott (0-2),
Tony Hegarty.
Subs: Michael McDermott, Christopher
Martin (1-0), Shane
McAreavey,
Conor
Strain.
Ballyvarley Hurling Notes
Ballyvarley had two representatives
on the Down Under 16 Hurling team at
the weekend. James McDermott and
Paul O’Neill, who was captain,
played for Down in the Golden Cow
Games. The tournament involved games
against Derry, Armagh
and Antrim, with the games lasting
15 minutes a half. Down drew with
Armagh the first game, before
battling to a narrow defeat against
Antrim, and a loss to Derry. It was
a well run competition, the
Ballyvarley lads playing well, Paul
scoring 1-3 in all. Their League
will start in the coming weeks.
Ballyvarley’s under 14 hurlers with
Newry Shamrocks was cancelled during
the week. The Reds’ next game is at
home against
Liatroim on Wednesday.
Players are asked to be at the field
for 6.30pm with throw
in at 7.15pm.
The
Under 16 hurler’s played Ballela at
home on Sunday. Ballyvarley won on a
score-line of 3-11 to 4-5 with James
McDermott and Paul O’Neill
particularly impressive. Their next
game is on Friday
19/05/06 at home to Warrenpoint with
throw in at 7.15pm.
Ballyvarley’s under 12 hurlers
entertained
Clonduff in their second Go
Games blitz of the year on Saturday.
The Go Games are hurling games based
on a non-competitive basis.
Ballyvarley competed well, just
losing narrowly. The
under 12
hurlers next game in the Go Games is
away to
Kilclief on Saturday 20th
May at 2pm followed by
a home game against
Mourne
on Saturday 27th May.
Coaching for the under 10 and 12
hurlers continues on Friday nights
at 7.15pm at
Newbridge Integrated College,
Loughbrickland.
The
Ballyvarley/Ballela Minor hurling
team have a long exam break now.
They play
Bredagh at home on
Monday 26/6/06. After their
great win over
Liatroim recently hopefully
they will add another victory to
their tally.
Ballyvarley seniors next hurling
game is away to
Ballygalget on Tuesday 23rd
May (throw in is at
7.15pm). They follow this with a
home game against Warrenpoint on
Tuesday 30th May.
Sent
in by Colm
O’Neill (Ballyvarley HC Hurling PRO)
