Gr8 times for Bennetts and Ballysaggart

The next few weeks could be a memorable time for one West Waterford family. In fact it could well prove to be a gr-eight time.

On September 8, Shane and Stephen Bennett helped Waterford win a first Minor All-Ireland Final in sixty five years.

On December 8, the pair played a pivotal roll in helping their club side Ballysaggart win the Munster Junior Club hurling Final.

And now on February 8, the pair could play another huge part in helping Ballysaggart win the All-Ireland Junior Club Hurling Final, something if it was to happen would see a Waterford Club side win a hurling All-Ireland for the first time.

If the pair who have won All-Ireland, Divisional, County and Munster medals in the last six months were to add All-Ireland Club medals to their collection in the coming days, along with their older brother Kieran who has played in the middle of the field for Ballysaggart in the championship and he was to wear the number eight in the final it would be a gr-eight time for the Bennett family and an even greater time for Ballysaggart.

Ballysaggart travelled to Tullamore on Sunday morning with the tag of favourites sitting on their shoulders, something that does not always rest well with Waterford teams.

Calry/Saint Joseph’s however went into the game with great hopes. They played in the Sligo Senior Hurling Championship, winning the last three finals and went on to win the Connacht Final in the late autumn, beating fancied opposition from Galway in the final.

They reached the semi finals of last years All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship and there was hopes that they could go one step further this time around.

But for them it did not happen, as playing with the aid of the elements at their back in the first half, Ballysaggart blitzed them with a terrific first half showing, at the end of which the game was over bar the shouting and the teams would be going through the motions in the second half.

However, things could well have been much different.

It was the Sligo side that had the first chance in this game as Matty Meagher early in the game did remarkably well to keep the ball out of his net. Had the sliotar passed the veteran Ballysaggart man who was part of their last three county final wins, would the game have a different finish? We will never know now.

Stephen Bennett hit the first three points of the game to give his side a nice lead with under ten minutes played. Keith Raymond pulled a point back for Calry/Saint Joseph’s from a free but Ballysaggart restored a three point advantage almost straight away after Stephen Bennett struck his fourth point of the game.

The games first goal came on thirteen minutes. It’s a long time since football was played in Ballysaggart on a competitive basis, but here they showed that did if they wanted to play the game they would be well capable of doing so, as Shane Bennett got inside the Calry/Saint Joseph’s defence and kicked the ball to the net to give his side a 1-4 to 0-1 advantage.

Further points from Stephen Bennett were registered on the score board before the Sligo outfit got their second of the game courtesy of an effort from Eolan McCarthy.

Kieran Bennett, an older brother of Stephen and Shane got his name on the score sheet before Shane Bennett hit his second of the game when a Stephen Bennett drive from the sixty-five metre line fell short and the younger of the Bennett brothers on show flicked to the net from close range.

Ken Cashell broke the Bennett Brothers run of consecutive scores for Ballysaggart by putting over two points in quick succession but it was not long before the Bennett’s had the umpires reaching for a flag again as first Kieran notched his second point of the game and it was followed shortly afterwards by a third Ballysaggart goal, this time hit by Stephen Bennett who showed all the signs of a gifted hurler by shortening the grip on his hurley to beat Chris Madden in the Calry/Saint Joseph’s goal, a score that gave Ballysaggart a 3-10 to 0-2 advantage at the change of ends.

In the second half, playing against the elements Ballysaggart were always going to find the going somewhat tougher.

They began the half well with Ronan Walsh hammering a four goal for the side in Blue and Navy after some good work by Stephen Bennett.

Calry/Saint Joseph’s for the remainder of the game did manage to fair much better, as the Ballysaggart attack laid up somewhat in front of goal, but at the other end, even playing against the wind their defence stood strong.

Keith Raymond and Stephen Bennett traded points to keep Ballysaggart twenty points (4-11 to 0-3) in front before the Sligo side hit a bit of a purple patch.

Keith Raymond hit a hat-trick of scores for the Westerners and Conor Griffin landed scores for Calry/Saint Joseph’s before Michael Kearney and Stephen Bennett landed scores for Ballysaggart.

The final score of the game was hit by Calry/Saint Joseph’s substitute Declan Reidy but it was too little and way too late, as Ballysaggart proved too strong in all sections of the field as they set up and All-Ireland Final appearance against Antrim side Creggan Kickhams.

BALLYSAGGART: Matty Meagher; Bobby Ryan, Kieran Fennessy, Daniel Devine; Barry Murphy, Eugene O’Brien, Cailean O’Gorman; Christy Murphy, Kieran Bennett; Ken Cashell, Darren Meagher, Ronan Walsh; Shane Bennett, Stephen Bennett, Tom Bennett. Subs: Michael Kearney for Ronan Walsh, Stephen Hale for Tom Bennett, Ferghal Meagher for Kieran Fennessy, Paudie Hale for Ken Cashell.

Scorers: Stephen Bennett 1-8 (5f, 1 65), Shane Bennett 2-0, R Walsh 1-0, K Cashell, K Bennett 0-2 each, M Kearney 0-1.

CALRY/ST JOSEPH’S: Chris Madden; Fiachra Coyne, Jamie Kenny, Niall McDermott; Noel Treacy, Liam Reidy, Fintan Keown; Ronan Cox, Keith Raymond; Conor Griffin, David Collery, Eolan McCarthy, Kevin Gilmartin, Damien Burke, Darragh Cox Subs: Declan Reidy for Chris Madden, Danny Keown for Darragh Cox, Eamon Kelly for David Collery.

Scorers: K Raymond 0-5 (4fs, 1 65), E McCarthy, C Griffin, L Reidy 0-1 each

Referee: Paud O’Dwyer (Carlow).