Under 12 Hurling Championship
Semi-final
Bredagh
Vs Ballyvarley
Ballyvarley’s
under 12 hurlers were ecstatic when the final whistle went on Saturday,
as they had just sealed their place in the final of the Under 12 Hurling
Championship.
Playing huge favourites
Bredagh in St. John’s, Ballyvarley
began the match against a strong breeze and dominated the play in the early
exchanges. But try as they might they allowed chance after chance to go by
without punishing the Bredagh rearguard. And so it
was that the tide began to turn with the Reds enduring a torrid 10 minute
spell, yet with good drives out of defence from Paul
Colgan and Cathal McGrath, they managed to
hold the Belfast side to a solitary point.
With Thomas
McKernan coming more into the game, he set up Tony
Hegarty to send a long clearance into the full-forward line which Owen
Carlisle latched onto and despatched to the top corner of the net.
Bredagh
now knew they were in a game and quickly pointed a 30 yard free soon after,
before they deflated Ballyvarley with a scrappy goal. Despite this setback the
local Ballyvarley hurlers fought back with Owen Carlisle going close to
goaling once more.
But as the half drew to a close a
trickling drive evaded the efforts of the Ballyvarley defence and keeper to
nestle just over the line. Behind by six points at the break Ballyvarley had a
lot to do to get back into this game.
HALF-TIME: Bredagh
2-3 Ballyvarley 1-0
Both teams
resumed play with no changes made, and the locals got off to the best possible
start with a typical poachers goal from Owen Carlisle. This visibly lifted the
Reds as they began to believe they could win this as the wind began to grow in
their favour. Bredagh replied with a goal of their
own soon after but Ballyvarley slowly pegged them back through three Tony
Hegarty pointed frees.
Tony
Hegarty and Thomas McKernan
were immense at the middle of the park as they monopolised the play in that
area. Tony found room to beat his man and sail over another point to leave two
in it. Ballyvarley fought tooth and nail for possession.
Cathal Mcgrath and Michael McAllister were
getting good long clearances in defence and Christopher Martin was strong at
left half back.
Then came
the key moment in the game as Tony found room at half-forward to send a long
drive in that lifted the net. Tony added a point straight after, before the
onslaught from Bredagh at the end. Yet the
Ballyvarley defence held on for a great two point win.
FULL-TIME:
Bredagh 3-3 Ballyvarley
3-5
This was a good battling team performance from the young Reds. They never
gave up. Christopher Martin, Cathal McGrath,
Michael McAllister and Paul Colgan excelled at the
back, Owen Carlisle provided the killer instinct
upfront, while Tony Hegarty and Thomas
McKernan gave outstanding performances that drove
the whole team on.
Ballyvarley now face
Liatroim in the final on Saturday 8th
October. Time and venue still to be arranged.
Ballyvarley
Team:
Conor
McShane, Michael McKay, Paul
Colgan, Ciaran Heaney, Peter
Lavery, Cathal
McGrath, Christopher Martin, Tony Hegarty (1-5),
Patrick Macken, Jonathan Lennon, Thomas
McKernan, Aidan McKernan,
Owen Carlisle (2-0), Kieron Davis, Gary Kennedy.
Subs: Michael McAllister, Thomas Carlisle, Liam Stewart, Rory
McShane, James O’Meara, Stefan
Toman.
Sent by Colm O’Neill
