|
Raging hot favourites
Newtownshandrum had to pull out all the stops to
deny (0-14 to 1-10) Down and Ulster champions
Ballygalget a place in the final of this year’s
All-Ireland senior club hurling final after a
terrificly exciting penultimate round tie in
Portlaoise.
Despite opening the scoring after less than a
minute, the Munstermen were pegged back at every
turn by their opponents in a game which didn’t at
all go to script.
The northerners proceeded to enjoy rich dividends
and points from Johnny McGrattan from placed balls
plus other efforts from Stephen Clarke and Martin
Coulter had them in confident form.
Then in the 11th minute the Downmen got a huge lift
when the opportunist Eoin Clarke flashed the ball on
the half-volley to the Newtownshandrum net for a
shock goal.
Leading now by 1-1 to 0-3, the underdogs sought to
put further pressure on the Cork team’s defence with
varying results.
At the other end of the field, Jamie and Ben
O’Connor kept Newtownshandrum in touch and by half
time they had cut Ballygalget’s lead to 0-6 to 1-7.
However the northerners maintained their momentum on
the restart and points from Johnny McGrattan and a
superb line ball from Patrick Monan had Ballygalget
in pole position.
But the relocation of Ben O’Connor to midfield
prompted a turnaround in fortunes for the chasing
team.
O’Connor shot three unanswered points between the
39th and 47th minutes before firing over the
levelling point five minutes later.
And as the Downmen began to tire in the heavy
conditions, their opponents got a new lease of life.
The introduction of Jerry O’Mahoney added new power
and zest to the Munstermen’s challenge and a point
from him in the 59th minute put Newtownshandrum two
points in front.
Ballygalget stuck at it though and while Johnny
McGrattan pointed to reduce the deficit to the
minimum, the same player was unfortunate to miss a
free in injury time thus letting the Corkmen off the
hook.
Coulter: ’We deserved more’
Ballygalget star Martin Coulter
couldn’t hide his disappointment as he reflected on
his side’s 1-10 to 0-14 All-Ireland senior club
hurling semi-final defeat to Newtownshandrum.
"It’s hard to take," said attacker Coulter.
"To go so close to beating the team everyone said
were All-Ireland favourites, a team of people said
we didn’t have a chance of beating, is so
disappointing.
"I think we deserved more from the game.
"We knew we had to start well and we did.
"We never stopped going at them and hurled really
well in the first half.
"But, they are a quality side and showed that.
"They were able to find space but we had chances to
win it and everyone played their hearts out." |
