Unexpected Results Thrown up.

Round two of this years JJ Kavanagh & Sons County Senior Hurling Championship took place this past weekend with three games taking place both at Walsh Park and Fraher Field over Saturday evening and Sunday.
 

At Fraher Field on Saturday evening, De La Salle and Fourmilewater clashed in what was the billed the game of the weekend. Most if not all, made the city side the favourites to win this game, but nobody rode off the chances of Fourmilewater too easily.

 On the day, the sides did not fail to live up to the billing bestowed on the game and a lively game was fought out. The first half proved to be a tight affair, at the end of which Fourmilewater held a 0-6 to 0-5 lead, but the city side will have been cursing their luck as just before the break, Stephen Daniels had a penalty saved by Conor Ryan after John Mullane had been fouled in the Fourmilewater goal area.

The second half say Fourmilewater prove to be the better of the two sides as they lead throughout. A goal from Jack Kennedy on fifty four minutes meant that there was just two points between the sides, but a strong Fourmilewater finish in which Shane Walsh scored three excellent points in the last ten minutes was good enough to see them win on a 0-18 to 1-10 scoreline.

The second game at Fraher Field on Saturday evening say Roanmore and Tallow clash. A week previously, at the same venue, the Sky Blues put in a very poor hours work against Fourmilewater and were written off by most going into this game. However, this time around, they put in a much better performance against last years beaten County Finalists who had beaten Dunhill in round one after a late surge.

Roanmore in this game got off to a flying start, and with just eight minutes played they held a four point advantage. A goal from Thomas Ryan on the quarter of an hour mark brought Tallow back into the game. At the break the city side with Gavin O’Brien almost unerring in his shooting held an 0-11 to 1-6 advantage.

The second half proved to be an even contest and at the hour mark the sides were level. In the second minute of added time Thomas Ryan landed a point for Tallow which looked as if it had given them the points on offer, but just a minute later and just seconds from the full time whistle Tommy Aldridge hit a crucial score for Roanmore to earn a share of the spoils on a 1-13 to 0-16 scoreline.

Passage and Abbeyside clashed at Walsh Park on Saturday evening. A week previously, Passage did well to beat Ballyduff Upper at Fraher Field while at the same venue, Abbeyside minus the services of Gary Hurney did well but had to settle for second best against reigning champions Ballygunner.

This suggested that a tight clash was in store at the Keane’s Road venue on Saturday evening and the two sides did not fail to deliver. For much of the game little if anything separated the sides. In the end, it was a John Hurney goal, four minutes from the hour mark the proved the difference between the sides as Abbeyside ran out 2-17 to 2-13 winners.

Two games at Walsh Park on Sunday afternoon threw up two massive results that few if any had predicted.

Ballygunner in the opening thirty minutes against Dungarvan proved to be well on top in their own half of the field, holding the Old Boro scoreless and at the same time tagging on six points of their own at the other end of the field.

Dungarvan in the second half put in a near faultless performance restricting the Gunners to just three points and at the same time raised twelve flags themselves including two green ones.

Playing with the wind at their backs in the second half, Dungarvan tailed 0-8 to 0-3 after 40 minutes when Cathal Curran hit the first goal of the game. A second goal from Ryan Donnelly was the insurance score and they went on to win 2-10 to 0-9.

Last year’s Intermediate Champions Dunhill faced up to Mount Sion also at Walsh Park. With the talent Mount Sion have at their disposal, most would have expected them to record a victory, but Dunhill were not going to listen to anyone making such calls.

Trailing by half a dozen points at one stage, a goal from Paul Doyle mid way through the second half proved to be the vital score and Dunhill went on to record a 1-18 to 1-16 victory that was fully deserved and will possibly make others sit up and take notice for the next three games in the group stages of the championship.

The final game of the weekend saw near neighbours Lismore and Ballyduff Upper clash at Fraher Field. As expected, little separated the two sides, but the old adage that goals win games, proved correct once more.

A goal from John Prendergast in the first half helped Lismore to a 1-6 to 0-6 lead at the break and a second Lismore goal from Paudie Prendergast three minutes into the second half from a long Ray Barry delivery put the icing on the cake as far as Lismore were concerned as they ran out 2-13 to 0-13 winners.

Weekend Scores

Fourmilewater             0-18     De La Salle     1-10

Tallow                          1-13     Roanmore       0-16

Abbeyside                   2-17     Passage          2-13

Dunhill                         1-18     Mount Sion      1-16

Dungarvan                  2-10     Ballygunner     0-9

Lismore                       2-13     Ballyduff          0-13

League Tables

Group One

Lismore           2          2          0          0          4

Dungarvan      2          1          0          1          2

Abbeyside       2          1          0          1          2

Passage          2          1          0          1          2

Ballygunner     2          1          0          1          2

Ballyduff          2          0          0          2          0

Group Two

Fourmilewater             2          2          0          0          4

Tallow                          2          1          1          0          3

De La Salle                 2          1          0          1          2

Dunhill                         2          1          0          1          2

Roanmore                   2          0          1          1          1

Mount Sion                  2          0          0          2          0