Senior Hurling
League: Clonduff Vs Ballyvarley -
June 2007
Colm O'Neill
Ballyvarley’s senior hurlers
travelled to Clonduff determined to
get back to winning ways. The
Hilltown men were second in the
league before play began and the
Reds knew they would have to play
well to take anything from the game.
The locals produced an excellent
team display and despite playing
most of the game with only fourteen
men they ran out comfortable winners
by thirteen points.
The locals began well with their
players having gone through an
extensive warm-up before the game.
The Reds were hungry for the ball,
shown by the quick movement of David
McGovern to lift, swivel round his
marker and sent the sliothar over
from distance. The Ballyvarley
forwards ran at the
Clonduff defence
drawing the fouls and Paul O’Neill
ably scored two points from placed
balls.
It
was total dominance from Ballyvarley
so it came as a shock when some
confusion in the local’s box allowed
the Hilltown men to goal against the
run of play. A John Murphy converted
free for the home side saw the
Clonduff hurlers lead for the first
time in the game. This spurred
Ballyvarley’s hurlers into action
with Paul O’Neill coming out from
half-forward to win the ball, turn
and send the ball over from wide on
the right. Minutes later the Reds
were reduced to fourteen men but the
locals continued to press forward. A
converted free from O’Neill soon
after put the Reds back into a lead
they would never lose. Further
points from McGovern and O’Neill (2)
saw the lead extended and despite a
John Murphy point from the Hilltown
men, a Conor Grew goal near the end
of the half saw six points between
the sides at the interval.
HALF-TIME: Clonduff 1-2 Ballyvarley
1-8
In
the team talk at the break the
Ballyvarley players were let know
that they had wasted too many
chances in the first period and were
not playing as well as they could.
These words seemed to have the
desired effect as the Reds attacked
the ball more and denied their
opponents time and space on the
ball. A Paul O’Neill pointed free
was followed by the score of the
game, a sideline 65 yards out was
sent straight over from James
McGrath’s hurl.
David McGovern’s point later pushed
that score close though as he
received the ball at midfield and
proceeded to weave through three
then four defenders before placing
the ball between the uprights.
The hurling from both sides was fast
and furious and for times Clonduff
made their extra man tell but some
excellent defending from David
Lavery who was having an excellent
game and the impressive Conor
McClorey reduced
Clonduff to the odd
point. Clonduff enjoyed a good seven
minute spell when they put the
Ballyvarley defence under enormous
pressure and scored three points.
While Clonduff found it difficult to
get their scores Ballyvarley were
scoring quite freely with McGovern
and O’Neill getting points-a-piece
before Conor Grew got his second
major of the game, a long ball up to
him in the box seeing him muscling
his man out of the way before
driving it to the right corner. The
two sides exchanged points before
the Reds ended the game in emphatic
style with Brian Donald rewarded for
his work upfront with a well taken
drive that rasped past the keeper.
FULL-TIME: Clonduff 1-7 Ballyvarley
3-14
The second half performance from the
Reds was very good, as they fought
and played all the harder despite
having a man sent off. Their was
some good hurling on show from both
sides with Damien Farnon, Eddie
Clancy and John Murphy particularly
good for the home side and for
Ballyvarley Pat McGrath, Conor
McClorey and David Lavery were
strong at the back, Eunan McConville
and Conor Lavery impressive in the
middle and Paul O’Neill, David
McGovern and Conor Grew providing
the cutting edge upfront.
Ballyvarley’s senior hurlers next
game is at home to Ballycran on
Tuesday 26th June with throw in at
7.30pm.
Ballyvarley Team
Cathal O’Neill, Thomas Lennon, James
McGrath (1-0), Pat McGrath, David
Lavery, Colm
O’Neill, Sean Kennedy, Eunan
McConville, Conor Lavery, John
O’Neill, David McGovern (0-4), Paul
O’Neill (0-9), Conor McClorey, Conor
Grew (2-0), Sean O’Neill. Sub: Brian
Donald (1-0), Christopher Higgins.
