Ballinacourty dethrone the Champions

Ballinacourty beat neighbours and rivals Stradbally on Sunday evening last at Fraher Field and ensuring that Stradbally for now will not be moving a step closer to the record number of senior football titles won by Dungarvan in the county.

Ballinacourty who had Waterford Senior Football Coach and Cork Senior Ladies Football Manager Effie Fitzgerald with them on the line for this game, had their homework done on the side from across Ballyvoile Bridge in this game and were kicking high ball into Gary Hurney on the edge of the Stradbally goal mouth where he caused the Cove-Men all sorts of problems and finished the game with 1-5 behind his name on the scoresheet.

Shane O’Donovan opened the scoring for Ballinacourty in this game with a point on eight minutes. Three minutes later Gary Hurney made it a two point game when he registered the first of his half dozen scores in this game.

But Stradbally were soon on top as Robert Ahearne fisted a point on twelve minutes and four minutes later Shane Ahearne put over a free to level matters at two points each.

Gary Hurney and Shane Ahearne swapped scores from frees to keep the sides locked together on the scoreboard with twenty one minutes played, before Stradbally got on top once more as Shane Ahearne and Michael Sweeney hit points to give them a 0-5 to 0-3 lead with seven minutes of the half remaining.

But Ballinacourty would end the half the stronger of the sides as they landed the final two scores, both from Gary Hurney, the first from a free and then a delightful effort from play out in the right hand corner as they attacked the town goal after he was picked out by Sean O’Hare.

Stradbally opened the second half with a point from Shane Ahearne but Ballinacourty soon followed up with the games only goal as Shane Briggs picked out Michael O’Halloran who in turn found Gary Hurney who beat Eoin Cunningham on 36 minutes.

Robert Ahearne made it a one point favour in Ballinacourty favour (1-5 to 0-7) with a point on 39 minutes, but a brace of points on 40 and 42 minutes from Evan Collins helped put some daylight between the sides.

Points from Shane and Robert Ahearne on 45 and 47 minutes again had the Ballinacourty lead down to one, but the Hurney brothers (Patrick and Gary) landed scores in a two minutes spell to give their side a three point lead once more with nine minutes still to play.

Shane Briggs made a brilliant block down on Daniel Weldon who looked certain to score a goal on 54 minutes and three minutes later Shane Ahearne put over another free to leave just two between the sides with three minutes to play.

This however would prove to be his sides last score of the game, while Ballinacourty would have one more chance, Patrick Hurney putting over on 59 minutes to secure his sides place in this Sunday’s County Final.

Ballinacourty: Stephen Enright; David Collins, Sean O’Hare, Brian Looby; Conor McCarthy, Richie Foley, Shane Briggs; Conor Prunty, John Hurney; Mark Fives, Patrick Hurney, Evan Collins; Michael O’Halloran, Gary Hurney, Shane O’Donovan. Subs: Neil Montgomery for Mark Fives (42), Michael Maher for Shane O’Donovan (53),John Elstead for Shane Briggs (55),

Scorers: Gary Hurney 1-5 (0-2f), Evan Collins, Patrick Hurney 0-2 each, Shane O’Donovan 0-1.

Stradbally: Eoin Cunningham; Kevin Lawlor, Kevin Coffey, Jack Mullaney; Tommy Connors, Shane Lannon, Tony Grey; Shane Ahearne, Michael Walsh; Paddy Kiely, Andy Doyle, Daniel Weldon; Michael Sweeney, Robert Ahearne, Eoin O’Brien. Subs: John Hearne for Andy Doyle (14), Paul Tobin for Eoin O’Brien (HT), John Coffey for John Hearne (46), Ger Power for Kevin Coffey (53), Stephen Cunningham for John Coffey (58).

Scorers: Shane Ahearne 0-6 (4f), Robert Ahearne 0-3, Michael Sweeney 0-1.

Referee: Tommy O’Sullivan (Affane).