Ballysaggart Seek Munster Glory

Barring the need for a replay, what has proven to be a very successful year for the Ballysaggart Club should come to an end on Sunday afternoon they will be hoping that it ends on a high as they take on Limerick side Feenagh-Kilmeedy in the Munster Junior Club hurling final at the superb complex in the North Cork town of Mallow.

There can be no doubting that the journey to this year’s Munster Final for Ballysaggart is an epic one.

The side that is picked from a tiny community, possibly the second smallest in Co Waterford behind Melleray/Glen Rovers and just ahead of Old Parish have impressed many this year.

They have come through a tough Western Championship. In their five league games in the championship, they won four games, beating Geraldine’s Colligan, Kilgobinet and Saint Mary’s. The only loss they suffered this year in the championship was against Modeligo, the side that they beat in the semi finals at the near by Castle Farm Grounds in Lismore, but only after a replay.

Strangely, their opponents in the Western Final, Colligan also needed a replay at the semi final stages of the championship against Geraldine’s before advancing to the final.

The Divisional final was expected to be a close one. However, it did not turn out to be the case.

Colligan a week before the game won the first leg of what they were hoping to be a Western Junior Double and there was some that had a feeling that the celebrations that naturally followed that win could take an effect on the next game that was to come and it could be said that this proved to be the case.

Ballysaggart won the game, easier than what most expected, which set up a County Final over the October Bank Holiday Weekend against Tramore, who were fancied by many. Tramore had hoped that their appeal to avoid relegation at the end of 2012 could be over-turned and when it wasn’t, they and Ballydurn who had benefitted from the fact that Kilrossanty were not fielding in the Junior hurling championship this year were expected to be the sides to be the sides most likely to move up the Intermediate Grade for 2014.

But Ballysaggart spoiled the expected party and they won at Walsh Park with some ease to ensure that they would be moving up to the Intermediate grade in 2014.

The win set up a Munster Quarter Final with newly crowned Cork Champions, Grenagh who a week before the game at Fraher Field beat a Kilbrin side who were appearing in their third final in a row.

With Cork star Tom Kenny in their line up, the visitors were expected to prove tough opposition for the Waterford champions, and while the three points that separated the sides at the end of the game would suggest that there was little to separate the sides, in truth Ballysaggart were much the better of the sides on the day, and could have won the game by a bigger margin. Midway through the second half, Ballysaggart were well in control, but when a log delay as a Grenagh player was carried from the field after picking up a serious injury, the flow in the Ballysaggart game was broken, while the visitors upped their effort to make up for the loss that they suffered.

The Cork side fought back to lever matters at 1-9 a piece, but three points, all from Stephen Bennett ensured that the Waterford side advanced.

Ballysaggart’s opponents in the Munster Semi Final were Knockshegowna from Tipperary. They came into the game with a serious disadvantage. They exited the Tipperary championship at the semi final changes, but represented the county in Munster after two second string sides reached the county final this year.

Again Ballysaggart proved too strong in this game. Their recent championship games stood to them and easily accounted for Knockshegowna to set up this weekend’s game.

The Limerick side have come through to this weekend’s game after some tough battles. After winning the Tipperary Championship, they beat Kerry’s Intermediate Champions Kenmare Shamrocks in the Munster Quarter finals and last time out they beat Clare Junior Champions Bodyke.

Like Ballysaggart they have within their ranks a mix of youth and experience.

While Stephen Bennett will be seen to be the main threat to the Limerick side on Sunday, they are by no means a one man team.

His brothers Kieran and Shane are also vital to the team. All three appear to have inherited the skill that their father Pat had when he donned the Blue and Navy shirt of Ballysaggart in the past along with the white and blue of Waterford.

Throw in the likes of goal keeper Matty Meagher, Barry Murphy who was the hero in the win over Knockshegowna, Eugene O’Brien, Christy Murphy and Ronan Walsh amongst others and you can see the potential that is in the team. They also have plus going for them this weekend and reports suggest that Ken Cashell has turned home after a spell abroad and if selected his inclusion will be seen as a major plus to the side’s chances.

Ballysaggart appear to have set one goal this year, not to look beyond the next game and to date it has worked. This weekend they won’t be looking beyond the game with the Limerick side.

Ballysaggart will fancy their chances of winning this weekend’s Munster Final. If they didn’t, it would be a pointless exercise in travelling across the county boundary for the game.

Waterford’s overall record in the Munster Junior Championship is far from good, but Ballysaggart have done a lot to improve Waterford’s win to games played ratio this year. Should they win this weekend, it will not only be good for the people of Ballysaggart, but also good for Hurling in Waterford in general, as it will give sides that will represent the county in the future confidence that they too could go all the way.