Ballysaggart advance to meet Knockshegowna in Munster Semi Final

I don’t recall the exact words I used last week on twitter, but it basically was that Waterford’s record in the Munster Junior Intermediate and Junior Club Hurling Championship was not good, but I did add that if one club could improve Waterford’s record, it was Ballysaggart, and so they proved me right last weekend.

The side from just inside the Cork and Tipperary County Boundaries all year have proven to be somewhat impressive. They played nine championship games going into last weekend’s game, winning seven, loosing one and drawing one, both against Modeligo.

While hurling is a team game, and there is no ‘U’ or ‘I’ in team, the Bennett brothers have got great praise all year for the rolls they have played in helping Ballysaggart achieve what they have, and once more they were to the fore in this game, Stephen in particular playing a major roll in this latest win, as he hit 1-11 of his sides 1-12, with younger brother Shane hitting the other point.

Ballysaggart at the break lead 1-5 to 0-4.

They got off to a flying start as Stephen Bennett put over a brace of early points.

With five minutes played, he hit his side’s most crucial score, after he was quickest to react after blocking down a Mark Kenny clearance, racing to the loose ball and hammering to the net to give his side a five point advantage.

Shane and Stephen Bennett then increased Ballysaggart’s lead to seven, before Ultan Duggan struck a first score for a misfiring Grenagh side with twenty minutes played.

That score did give the newly first time crowned Junior Hurling Championship winners from Cork renewed hope and points from Tom Kenny and Conor Fitzgerald helped cut Ballysaggart’s lead to a more manageable four point difference.

Both sides before the break however managed to land a further point each. Stephen Bennett hit his fifth score of the game for Ballysaggart before Sean Bourke pointed to leave four between the sides at the switch of ends.

Ballysaggart began the second half as they had started the first as Stephen Bennett hit three early points only for Seamus Coleman pulled on back to give the four time Waterford Junior Hurling Champions a six point cushion.

The Cork champions were dealt a major blow in the second half when the game was held up for eight minutes following an injury to Niall Doherty which saw him stretched off the field.

However, loosing a player in such circumstances meant that the Cork side’s players raised their game. A goal from Seamus Coleman helped the Cork side right back into contention with thirteen minutes of the hour still to play, after which Ultan Duggan, Tom Kenny, Martin Barry and DD Duggan all landed points to level matters on 1-9 to 1-9 with the clock showing five minutes of stoppage time played.

However, in the closing minutes, it was Ballysaggart that proved to be the hungrier of the two sides. Stephen Bennett brought Grenagh’s continuous flow of scores to an end as he edged Ballysaggart back in front and then extended that lead with another.

However, he was not finished and the best was yet to come. In the closing minutes of the game he showed the class that many know he processes with some while as he took control of the ball with his back to goal and shot over his shoulder and over the bar for a score that will be remembered for some time to come by those that witnessed it.

Ballysaggart are back in action again this weekend when they play the Munster semi final against Tipperary Champions Knockshegowna again at Fraher Field, a venue that Ballysaggart will only be playing championship hurling at for only the third time this year.

Ballysaggart: Matty Meagher: Bobby Ryan, Kieran Fennessy, Daniel Devine; Barry Murphy, Eugene O’Brien, Cailean O’Gorman; Christy Murphy, Kieran Bennett; Shane Bennett, Darren Meagher, Ronan Walsh; Stephen Hale, Stephen Bennett, Tom Bennett. Subs: Michael Kearney for Tom Bennett, Cathal Fitzgerald for Ronan Walsh, Fergal Meagher for Eugene O’Brien, Eugene O’Brien for Stephen Hale.

Scorers: Stephen Bennett 1-11 (0-7 frees), Shane Bennett 0-1.

Grenagh: Mark Kenny; Kevin O’Neill, Raymond Dorgan, Paul McCarthy; DD Dorgan, Gerry Russell, Kelvin Cummins; Niall Doherty, Colm O’Neill; Sean Bourke Tom Kenny, Dean Dalton; Conor Fitzgerald, Seamus Coleman, Ultan Duggan. Subs: Tadhg Walsh for Dean Dalton, Liam Walsh for Niall Doherty, Martin Barry for Conor Fitzgerald.

Scorers: Seamus Colman 1-1, Ultan Duggan, Tom Kenny 0-2 each, Conor Fitzgerald, Sean Bourke, Martin Barry, DD Dorgan 0-1 each.

Referee: Anthony Sherlock (Tipperary)