Ballysaggart's Road to Croke Park

THE LOCAL BAR Western Junior Hurling Championship

Ballysaggart 5-30 Kilgobinet 1-9

Ballysaggart Junior Premier Hurling team kick started their journey to Croke Park with a comprehensive victory over Kilgobinet at Cappoquin.

The game was over almost as soon as it started as Ballysaggart let 2-9 to 0-3 with just a quarter of the game played.

By half time, Ballysaggart had stretched their lead to 3-17 to 1-4 with the Bennett Brothers Shane and Stephen sharing the goals.

In the second half Ballysaggart continued to dominate with Shane Meagher and Christy Murphy adding goals in the second thirty minutes.

 

THE LOCAL BAR Western Junior Hurling Championship

Ballysaggart 3-13 Colligan 1-17

Ballysaggart needed late points in this game from Shane Bennett and Ronan Walsh to secure a win in this game which was played at Cappoquin.

Colligan had the better of the first half and at the break held a 0-12 to 1-5 lead at the break, the Ballysaggart goal coming from top scorer Shane Bennett on twenty five minutes.

Colligan at the start of the second half continued to be the better of the two sides as they hit 1-2 within five minutes of the restart stretching the side in Black and Yellow hoops lead to nine points.

Ballysaggart came storming back hitting 1-5 in the next eight minutes, the goal coming from Shane Bennett on thirty nine minutes with Darren Meagher as well as the three Bennett brothers landing a point each.

Ballysaggart went into the lead for the first time in the game seven minutes from time when Stephen Bennett crashed a 20 metre free to the net.

Both sides traded scores through John Wall (Colligan) and Shane Bennett to lock the scoring at 3-11 to 1-17, but the late scores from Shane Bennett and Ronan Walsh ensured that Ballysaggart’s perfect start to the championship remained.

 

THE LOCAL BAR Western Junior Hurling Championship

Ballysaggart 1-15 Modeligo 2-18

Ballysaggart’s unbeaten run in the championship came to an end when they lost by eight points to Modeligo in the third round of games in the league section of the Western Championship at Cappoquin.

Ballysaggart started this game with ace scorer Stephen Bennett between the posts but he was to later move out to a more accustomed position.

Modeligo lead 1-9 to 1-4 at the break, Modeligo hitting the net after only four minutes through Patrick O’Donovan but ‘Saggart’ were to hit a goal of their own five minutes from the break through Ronan Walsh.

A second Patrick O’Donovan goal for Modeligo within sixty seconds of the restart made life a little more uncomfortable for the side in blue and navy, but they continued to battle hard and at the half way point in the second half they were just two points behind.

Modeligo however finished the game by outscoring Ballysaggart five scores to one in the final ten minutes to secure what was a deserved victory.

 

THE LOCAL BAR Western Junior Hurling Championship

Ballysaggart 0-16 Geraldine’s 0-14

Ballysaggart got back to winning ways in the fourth round of the league part of the championship when they had a narrow two point win over Geraldine’s at Lismore.

The Aglish side had won the championship twelve months earlier and at the break things looked good for them as they held a 0-9 to 0-7 advantage, having lead 0-7 to 0-3 at the end of the first quarter.

The third quarter of the game proved to be a very even affair which Ballysaggart marginally shaded as they lead 0-13 to 0-12 at the three quarter stage mark.

In the final ten minutes, Martin O’Brien and Michael Murray for the Aglish outfit as well as Kieran Bennett, Ken Cashell and Darren Meagher for Ballysaggart landed scored to secure a victory.

 

THE LOCAL BAR Western Junior Hurling Championship

Ballysaggart 1-14 Saint Mary’s 1-9

Despite Saint Mary’s racing into an early 0-3 to no score lead in this game, a man of the match performance from Shane Bennett who put over eleven points proved to be the difference between the sides in this game.

At the break, Saint Mary’s lead in Cappoquin 1-5 to 0-4, but Ballysaggart could be closer and possibly should be in front at this point, and would be but for some wasteful shooting in front of goal in the first quarter, shooting nine balls wide of the upright.

The score that turned the game came twelve minutes after the restart when a Tom Bennett shot from distance went all the way to the net to leave just one between the sides and when Shane Bennett followed up with a brace of scores, it was Ballysaggart all the way, even if the game remained close right up to the final few minutes, when Shane Bennett put over three and Darren Meagher one point which went unanswered.

 

THE LOCAL BAR Western Junior Hurling Championship semi final

Ballysaggart 1-15 Modeligo 3-9

Ballysaggart’s only game which they failed to win up to this time was against Modeligo and when the sides met in the semi finals when Patrick O’Donovan who gave Ballysaggart a  torrid time in the previous game between the two rattled the Ballysaggart net on four minutes, it looked as though a repeat result could be on the cards.

At the end of the first quarter, despite Modeligo’s early goal, the side’s were all square.

Modeligo squandered a few good chances to go back in front at the start of the second quarter but when chances fell to Kieran Bennett and Ken Cashell they made no mistake.

Both sides in the remainder of the half continued to trade scores, but with time almost up Ballysaggart held a three point cushion.

The sides however would retire tied 2-4 to 0-10 after Patrick O’Donovan hit his second major score of the game just before the break.

Modeligo had a tonic start to the second half hitting a third goal through Louis Queally to go three points up, a lead which they stretched to four just seconds later.

At the end of third quarter Modeligo led 3-7 to 0-15, but Ballysaggart were somewhat unlucky not to be in front at this stage as John Power had done well to deny Stephen Bennett a goal.

Modeligo were to add further points from Kieran McCarthy and Patrick Walsh to go three points in front with a minute to go, but no game is over till the final whistle is blown and Ballysaggart refused to give up.

Ballysaggart in the time that remained mounted a lot of pressure on the Modeligo defence and it paid off when Stephen Bennett struck a late goal to send the game to a replay.

 

THE LOCAL BAR Western Junior Hurling Championship semi final Replay

Ballysaggart 2-17 Modeligo 1-17

The third battle of Ballysaggart and Modeligo in the Western Junior Hurling Championship proved to be as entertaining as the two that had come before it.

Modeligo got off to a roaring start in this game, hitting three points inside the opening four minutes and could have gone six up with six minutes played but for a brilliant Ballysaggart defence which has played a major roll in getting them as far as they have in this campaign denying the side in green and white.

Two goals in three minutes turned the game for Ballysaggart.

Both were hit by Stephen Bennett. The first came in sixteen minutes. He had missed a penalty, saved by John Power but he was powerless to stop the Ballysaggart man’s attempt from the rebound.

The goals gave Ballysaggart a six point lead but before the break, the lead was halved when former Inter County Panel member Pat Fitzgerald rattled the Ballysaggart net three minutes from the break.

At the three quarter stage mark, these two evenly matched teams could not be separated (1-12 to 2-9), however three points from Stephen Bennett and one from older brother Kieran gave Ballysaggart a 2-13 to 1-12 advantage with ten minutes to play.

Modeligo hit back with a hat-trick of Patrick Walsh points to leave just one between the sides with time running down. The same player with three minutes left had the sides all square (1-17 to 2-14) and it looked as though that extra time would be needed to find a winner.

However, Ballysaggart were to finish the stronger of the two sides as Shane Bennett riffled over a brace of scores and Brother Stephen one to help their side to a three point win and a place in the Western final.

 

THE LOCAL BAR Western Junior Hurling Championship final

Ballysaggart 3-13 Colligan 0-12

Despite a slow start to this game, Ballysaggart were always the better team in this game.

They lead 2-6 to 0-4 at the break thanks to a brace of Stephen Bennett goals. The first goal of the game came on the 13th minute when Stephen Bennett, kicked to the net having lost his hurley.  The second goal came eleven minutes later when the same player collected the ball 45 metre from goal and once he bounced the sliotar off the ground after catching it the permitted amount of times, he opened the Colligan defense before shooting into the town goal end.

The winners started the second half by putting over a brace of points before Darren Meagher and Ken Cashell combined to set up Stephen Bennett for his hat-trick.

‘Saggart’ in the remainder of the half continued to dominate in almost all sectors of the field and in the end were worthy winners of this game with ten points to spare.

 

JJ Kavanagh & Sons Co Junior Hurling final

Ballysaggart 1-18 Tramore 1-9

Ballysaggart won a second junior hurling county final in six years when they beat a fancied Tramore side in Walsh Park at the end of October.

The winners were never in any danger in this game and lead at the break 1-10 to 0-5.

Ballysaggart on scores on the board through Stephen Bennett and Eugene O’Brien before Tramore hit the first of their scores.

Ballysaggart showed their class by hitting a sequence of scores from Darren Meagher, Stephen Bennett, Kieran Bennett and Tom Bennett which gave them an 0-8 to 0-2 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Tramore playing against the wind tried hard but they had no answer to a much better Ballysaggart team. On seventeen minutes, the game was effectively over when Stephen Bennett with a free from the middle of the field sent the ball into the Tramore net.

Even playing against the wind in the second half, Ballysaggart continued to prove to be the better of the two sides.

Tramore received a boost eight minutes into the second half when David Acheson found Colin Griffin with a side line cut and the full forward made no mistake in putting the ball past Matty Meagher.

While Tramore added on a few more scores after this score, it was goals that they needed if they were going to make a game of it, but they never arrived.

 

AIB Munster Junior Club Hurling quarter final

Ballysaggart 1-12 Grenagh 1-9

Cork champions Grenagh travelled to Fraher Field with high expectations.

The history of Waterford Club’s in the Munster at this level of hurling was not good, and only a week earlier the Cork side had beaten a Kilbrin side who were appearing in their third successive Cork Co Final.

Ballysaggart got off to a dream start in this game hitting 1-2 in the opening minutes with no immediate response coming from the Cork side.

Bennett on the day could not have his performance faulted as he finished with 1-11 to his name out of his side’s tally.

The Cork side however would be left cursing their luck after the game as they did have plenty of chances to win this game or at least get something from it, but some of their shooting on the day was very poor.

The visitors were dealt a blow in the second half when Niall Doherty was stretchered from the field with a serious knee injury. However after he going off the Cork Champions upped their game and were able to pull level with the game in added time.

However, in the time that remained, Stephen Bennett not for the first time this year showed his class as he riffled over three unanswered points to give his side a deserved victory.

 

AIB Munster Junior Club Hurling semi final

Ballysaggart 1-12 Knockshegowna 1-5

Tipperary representatives (not county champions) Knockshegowna were no matched for Ballysaggart at Fraher Field as the Waterford side became only the second Waterford club to reach a provincial at this level of hurling.

The Tipperary side proved to be a poor side on the day. All six of there scores came from the stick of 41 year old Declan Costelloe. However, Ballysaggart can count themselves lucky to come through the game themselves, as on the day, they put in one of there poorest performance in the campaign often over playing the ball or holding onto it too long instead of sending direct ball into their forwards who all year had caused so many teams so many problems.

Ballysaggart at the break lead by four points (0-6 to 0-2), but it was not till midway through the third quarter that they could say that victory was going to be theirs when Stephen Bennett crashed the ball to the Tipperary sides net after thirty eight minutes.

By this stage however, things could have been much different had a Fergal Bond effort early in the second half passed Matty Meagher instead of coming off the upright.

The Tipp side hit their first score from play on the hour mark when Declan Costelloe struck a well taken goal, but it was too little too late.

 

 AIB Munster Junior Club Hurling final

Ballysaggart 3-12 Feenagh-Kilmeedy 0-15

8^th December 2013 is the date that will live long in the memories of many in Ballysaggart and indeed in many other areas around Waterford as it was the day that the side in blue and navy became Munster Champions, beating Limerick side Feenagh-Kilmeedy at Mallow.

A Two goal bust in a three minute period at the start of the second half proved the winning of the game for Ballysaggart.

Stephen Bennett scored 1-8 in a game which saw the winners start both halves strongly.

Bennett's goal on six minutes gave Ballysaggart a perfect start and at the break they lead 1-8 to 0-9

Stephen Bennett hit the first score of the second half, but the Limerick side who had finished the first half strongly, began the second half just as strong as Diarmuid Coleman and John Lynch hit points in quick succession to leave just one between the sides.

Ronan Walsh fired to the net to put Ballysaggart four points up before Jimmy O’Sullivan and Darren Meagher swapped scores and when Shane Bennett hit a crucial third goal for Ballysaggart on forty-two minutes which gave them a 3-10 to 0-12 advantage there was only going to be one outcome to the game.

 

AIB All-Ireland Junior Club Hurling semi final

Ballysaggart 3-12 Feenagh-Kilmeedy 0-15

Ballysaggart became only the third Waterford Club to reach an All-Ireland Hurling Final when they easily accounted for Sligo side Calry-St Josephs at Tullamore.

Ballysaggart travelled to the midlands with the tag of favourites on their shoulders, something  that does not always sit well with sides from Waterford, but they need not have had any fears in this game.

Stephen Bennett hit three early points for Ballysaggart before younger brother Shane broke the hearts of many a punter by scoring the games first goal on thirteen minutes.

Stephen and Kieran Bennett hit and then a Stephen Bennett drive from sixty five metres fell short and Shane Bennett finished to the net for his second of the game.

Ken Cashell put over a brace of points before Kieran Bennett pointed again and shortly afterwards Stephen Bennett hit a third goal for Ballysaggart goal which gave them a 3-10 to 0-2 advantage at the break.

Ballysaggart started the second half by putting a fourth goal past the Sligo club sides defence, this time Ronan Walsh getting his name on the score sheet after some good work by the middle of the Bennett brothers.

The Sligo side for the remainder of the game did manage to do somewhat better than they did in the opening half of the game, but they had left themselves too much to do and they came up against a teak like Ballysaggart defence to break down.