U14 Hurling Championship QF: Ballyvarley/Ballela
v Castlewellan
Under
14 Hurling Championship
Quarter-final
Ballyvarley/Ballela Vs Castlewellan
The St Patrick’s
under 14 hurlers got off to a flyer
in the championship with an easy
quarter final win at home to
Castlewellan. The pitch in
Ballyvarley was in great condition
despite the heavy rain before the
game, allowing some hurling from
both sides. Castlewellan gave the
Ballyvarley/Ballela amalgamation a
tough game two weeks previous in the
league but travelled without a few
key players. The Reds took full
advantage and dominated the game
from start to finish with an eager,
hungry performance.
The home side got off to
a perfect start with an early Owen
Magee goal. Magee and Patrick Mackin
constantly ran at the Castlewellan
defence opening them up for the
other St Patrick’s attackers. At
this stage Jonathan Lennon was
having a great game showing some of
the range of skills of hurling,
lifting the ball, beating his marker
and laying the sliothar off to team
mates in better positions. From one
such hand-pass he created space for
Owen to strike over another point.
It was not one-way
traffic though as Castlewellan broke
several times but met Lisa McCusker,
Christopher Martin and Thomas
McKernan who were in fine form. When
the whistle came at the break it
gave the Reds a good nine point lead
with the visitors yet to register a
score.
HALF-TIME: Ballyvarley/Ballela
1-6 Castlewellan 0-0
The Reds stepped up a
gear after the break with Patrick
Mackin amassing a personal tally of
0-9. The highlight of the half was
an excellent lift solo and strike
from Michael McKay that scorched
past the visiting keeper. Some
excellent goalkeeping and good last
ditch defending from the
Castlewellan defenders kept the
score down yet Mackin still
converted four excellent points with
some very accurate drives from long
range.
Tony Hegarty had the
last say in the game when he
received the sliothar on the edge of
the box and lifted the net with a
fierce shot handing St Patrick’s a
high scoring win.
FULL-TIME: Ballyvarley/Ballela
3-17 Castlewellan 0-0
All twenty of the
players used in this game
contributed to an excellent display.
Special mention goes to Michael
McAlister for a clean sheet and
Michael McKay and Owen Magee upfront
who unsettled the Castlewellan
defence allnight. However the task
ahead, a semi-final against either
Liatroim or Bredagh, will provide St
Patrick’s with their biggest test of
the season. Bredagh have been
playing and beating the Ards teams
like Ballygalget in the league above
St Patrick’s and would be favourites
to win the championship. The same
fight and determination will need to
be shown and every chance needs to
be taken.
The next game for
Ballyvarley/Ballela is on Wednesday
23rd May in the
Championship against Liatroim/Bredagh
away. Players are asked to meet in
Ballyvarley at 6pm sharp with throw
in at 7.30pm.
Ballyvarley/Ballela Team
Michael McAllister, Aidan McKernan,
Lisa McCusker, Darragh Brady, Cathal
McGrath, Christopher Martin, Thomas
McKernan, Michael Downey (0-2), Tony
Hegarty (1-2), Michael McKay (1-0),
Patrick Mackin (0-9), Jonathan
Lennon, Ciaron Davis, Peter Verhoven,
Owen Magee (1-4). Subs: Conor
Strain, Peter Lavery, Paul Colgan,
Rory McShane, James O’Meara, Ciaran
Heaney, Ryan McCusker, Jack Kearns,
Stephen Caruthers.
Sent in by Colm O’Neill
17/5/2007
