Ardmore Set up Croke Park Date

Ardmore are through to this Sunday’s All-Ireland Junior Club Hurling Final where they will take on Fethard from Wexford after they overcame the challenge of Setanta from Donegal in last Saturday’s rearranged semi final at Navan.

Playing opposition from Ulster is never easy when it comes to hurling for many sides from the other three counties. Some might have claimed it was only a Donegal side that Ardmore were playing, but it must be remembered that Setanta were the Senior Hurling Champions in Donegal in 2017, and while Donegal might rank well below Waterford when it comes to the Inter County scene, few in Ardmore or indeed across the hurling would have underestimated the challenge the Donegal side would serve up, and in the opening minutes of the game the Ulster Champions really put it up to Ardmore and were in fact 0-4 to 0-2 in front at the end of the opening quarter.

However a goal by rising star James Flavin early in the second quarter put Ardmore in front for the first time and once the green flag was waved, the Round Tower Club side never looked back.

It was the Donegal side that settled first with Colm Melaugh putting the ball over the head of James O’Donnell in the first minute, but an effort from John Gartland soon cancelled out the score by Melaugh.

If the history of Waterford hurling is ever written one name that will come up time and time again is that of Seamus Prendergast. While he has left the inter county scene now with a number of years, he is still fondly remembered for what he done in the white and blue shirt of Waterford over a number of years in which he won four Munster Final medals, a National League medal and helped Waterford reach an All-Ireland final back in 2008. It takes a good player to stay in the set up for so long and win so much, and good players do not become bad players over night.

While he might be almost ten years older since he won the last of his major honours playing with Waterford, like Dan Shanahan who played alongside him in many of these games and who over the last two years showed that he has not lost any of the ability he showed when playing for Waterford while playing in the colours of Lismore, Seamus Prendergast also has not lost any of the talent that he showed in the white and blue shirt as he not for the first time put in a solid performance in the blue and white shirt of Ardmore.

He edged Ardmore in front for the first time in this game when Ardmore went 0-2 to 0-1 in front, but his score was followed with a brace of scores from Declan Coulter and one from Bernard Lafferty which gave their side a 0-4 to 0-2 advantage on the scoreboard with 12 minutes played.

            The Prendergast brothers and Clinton Hennessy helped put Ardmore on the hurling map on the National scene in the past and another exciting young prospect, Seamus Keating might be the next Ardmore player to grace the scene at national level.

            He put over a brilliant point to make it a one point game in favour of the Ulster side, but it was quickly followed with the first goal of the game from James Flavin with a brilliant solo effort to give his side the lead for the second time, one that they would never give up for the rest of the game.

The side that have won West Waterford, County Waterford and Munster Championships in the last number of months further stretched their lead with points from Seamus Prendergast and Niall Hennessy, but the Ulster side did manage to reduce this lead by one point with an effort from Kevin Campbell from a free.

Points from David Gartland, Seamus Prendergast and James Kennedy followed for Ardmore to further stretch their lead and when Niall Hennessy picked out Seamus Prendergast late in the first half for a second Ardmore goal, the writing was beginning to appear on the wall for the Ulster side who headed to their dressing room trailing 2-8 to 0-5.

The Ulster side had the wind at their backs in the second half, but while the wind can be a help it has never won any game played. The side from the North West of the country did create chances in the second half but they found it hard to break down an Ardmore defence where James O’Donnell playing between the posts in the absence of the suspended Jack Walsh, Declan Prendergast, Richie and Niall Walsh and Seamus Prendergast playing in key positions were able to hold tight and never really looked as if they were going to have much needed the green flags which they needed waved.

At the other end of the field, while Ardmore did hit a wides tally in the double digits over the course of the hour, enough efforts did go between the uprights.

Ardmore’s third goal sealed the game for the West Waterford club. Seamus Prendergast showed that class never leads you even if the legs do slow you down. He picked out David Gartland who brilliantly place the sliotar in the Donegal sides onion bag, and soon afterwards James Flavin got his second major score of the game, putting his side well out of site of Setanta before crossing the finish line.

The Ulster side did manage late points from Declan Coulter, Bernard Lafferty and Danny Cullen but they proved to be mere consolation scores and they also had goalkeeper Ciaran Bellow sent off late in the game for apparently using abusive language towards the match officials. 

ARDMORE: James O’Donnell; Niall Hennessey, Declan Prendergast, Daniel Power; Gavin Williams, Seamus Keating, Ritchie Hennessey; Kenny Murphy, Wayne Hennessey; James Flavin, David Gartland, John Gartland); James Kennedy, Seamus Prendergast, Sean Barron. Subs: Michael Cronin for Daniel Power (45), Stephen Keating for John Gartland (49), Cathal Hennessy for James Kennedy (57), Eoin Conway for Kenny Murphy (58), Alan Stenson for Seamus Prendergast (62).

Scorers: Seamus Prendergast 1-6 (5f), James Flavin 2-0, David Gartland 1-2, Niall Hennessy, Seamus Keating, John Gartland, James Kennedy 0-1 each.

SETANTA: Ciaran Bellew; Brendan Tourish, Simon McMenamin, Mark Callaghan; Sean Anderson, Martin Bonner, Niall Cleary; Richie Kee, Danny Cullen; Bernard Lafferty, Colm Melaugh, Mark Kane; Justin McBride, Declan Coulter, Kevin Campbell. Subs: Damien Browne for Colm Melaugh (42), Josh Cronolly for Mark Kane (58), Alan McConnell for Sean Anderson (63).

Scorers: Declan Coulter (1f), Kevin Campbell (3f), Danny Cullen (1 ’65) 0-3 each, Bernard Lafferty 0-2, Niall Cleary, Colm Melaugh 0-1 each.

REFEREE: Alfie Devine (Westmeath).