Ballysaggart look to improve Waterford’s record in Munster Junior Club Championship Hurling

For some the end of 2013 cannot come fast enough. Many that I have heard speak during the course of the year have spoken of a horrible year, but it’s possibly no better or worse than any other years, it’s just that they believe the old wives tales about 13 being an unlucky number.

There is many I am sure in the Ballysaggart area that will not claim that 2013 was a bad year. The opposite is the case I am sure in fact.

Sunday’s game for Ballysaggart is their tenth championship game of the year and their record is impressive. Of the nine games played to date, seven are won, one is drawn and one is lost, meaning that they go into the game in a confident mood.

In the league they also faired well. They along with Geraldine’s, Colligan Modeligo and Saint Mary’s opted to step up a grade and competed in the Western Intermediate League, finishing in third place in group one, a point behind the second placed team Shamrocks who finished on seven points.

The championship for Ballysaggart could not have started as they recorded a 5-30 to 1-9 win over Kilgobinet at Cappoquin. It was back to Cappoquin again for their second game and at the Corner Stone venue they again recorded a win, this time a 3-13 to 1-17 victory over Colligan.

Game three saw Ballysaggart again return to Cappoquin for a game against Modeligo, but this time defeat was their lot, loosing 2-18 to 1-15 during the second weekend of June.

The venue for Lismore’s third game was somewhat closer to home, as The Geraldine’s made the trip to Lismore, a venue that Ballysaggart would be very familiar with, and they returned to winning ways, winning 0-16 to 0-14 and it was then back to Cappoquin for their final game in the group section of the competition against Saint Mary’s who they beat 1-14 to 1-9.

That win gave Ballysaggart top spot in the league section of the championship and a place in the semi finals against Modeligo. Two attempts were needed to beat Modeligo, which set up a Western Final against Colligan who also needed two attempts to beat Geraldine’s in their semi final.

In the Western Final, Ballysaggart accounted for Colligan a little easier than expected 3-10 to 1-9 and in the county final which was played recently at Walsh Park they had nine points to spare over a fancied Tramore side.

That win was Ballysaggart’s four in a county final. Prior to this, their most recent was in 2007 and of the twenty players that played against Tramore, eight (Matty Meagher, Kieran Fennessy, Daniel Devine, Eugene O’Brien, Christy Murphy, Ken Cashell, Ronan Walsh and Fergal Meagher) played a part in both wins, with Matty and Fergal Meagher also playing a role in their 1992 County final win at this grade. The fourth county final win came back in 1972.

The Cork side will go into the game in a confident mood this weekend. Waterford’s record in this competition is lets be honest, is less than satisfactory, while the Cork champions of the past three years, Meelin in 2010, Charleville in 2011 and Kildorrery last year went on to add the Munster Title to the County title won a little earlier in the year.

Grenagh will have a very experienced player in their line out in Tom Kenny. He will be key to their hopes. He is a player that have won Munster and All-Ireland Finals and shows the difference between the thinking in Waterford and Cork. In Cork, regardless of what grade you play at, if you are good enough to be picked. In Waterford, with some there is a line of thinking that you should be playing with a senior club to earn a place in the Waterford Senior Hurling panel or at least be with a very good intermediate club. Thankfully, not everyone conforms to this thinking.

In the Cork County Final played last weekend, they beat a fancied Kilbrin team in the final at Pairc Ui Rinn. Kilbrin had appeared in the last two finals without success and were hoping to make it third time lucky, but it was not to be.

The win was a first for the mid Cork county side, who were beaten in the 2004 final. Last weekend, they had a great start to the game as Dean Dalton had the ball in the Kilbrin net with just three minutes on the clock.

Throughout the hour, Grenagh proved to be the better of the two sides and retired at the interval holding a deserved 1-5 to 0-3 lead.

A goal for Kilbrin in the third quarter meant that there was only three between the sides, but it was Grenagh that the goal ignited and with five minutes to play in the game, five points separated the sides.

And while the sides swapped scores in the following minutes, even though Grenagh conceded a goal in the closing moments, Kilbrin were not able to add to it as and Grenagh held out for a two point win.

Last weekend, Tom Kenny with four points, Dean Dalton with a goal, Colm O’Neill and Ultan Duggan who shared five points between then as well Raymond Dorgan, DD Dorgan and Gerry Russell were there most impressive performers and they will be looking for a repeat this weekend.

As pointed out, Waterford’s record in this competition is not the best, but maybe, Ballysaggart are the club that will help improve the county’s overall record in it. They are impressive all year. They have hit seventeen goal and one hundred and forty right points, conceding ten goals and one hundred and eleven points.

In Shane and Stephen Bennett they have two fine performers. Both became household names this year thanks to the rolls they played in helping Waterford win a first All-Ireland Minor Hurling final since 1948.

Kieran Bennett was involved with the Waterford minors in 2012 and is also a very good player. Ronan Walsh is a player that most will know off with a while, while Matty Meagher’s puck outs are legendry.

Ken Cashell who line out at wing forward in the County Final win over Tramore will miss game having moved to New Zealand in the meantime and he will be a loss. However, who ever comes in for him will have earned their place and won’t let the side down.

The Cork champions will go into this game as the favourites, but if any club is capable of proving the bookies or those that are making the newly crowned Cork champions – wrong, it is Ballysaggart.