Heartbreak for Ballysaggart in Munster Final

Ballysaggart’s hopes of winning a Munster Intermediate Hurling Championship to go with the Munster Junior Hurling Championship in 2013 were ended at Fraher Field on Sunday afternoon where they fell just short of the target set by Cork Champions Fr. O’Neill’s who had Lismore man James O’Connor wearing the Bainisteoir bib for the Cork side.

If the East Cork side had inside knowledge of the threat that Ballysaggart posed in this game the same could well be said of the West Waterford side as Ballysaggart man Pat Bennett was in charge of the East Cork outfit out fit with the past while.

The old adage that goals win games once more proved to be true in this game as it was the ability of the Cork side to hit one in each half that proved to be the difference between the side with the shooting of Declan Dalton from placed balls also a telling factor, hitting two frees from inside his own sixty-five metre line, scores worthy of winning any game.

While Ballysaggart will be disappointed with the final outcome of this game, they can be very proud of what they have achieved in the last couple of years. Hurling supporters in the West of the County in particular will remember a time when Ballysaggart were playing Junior ‘B’ Hurling and now next year they will be competing in the senior grade for the very first time in their history.

The Cork side won the toss of the coin before this game an opted to play with the aid of the slight breeze at their backs into the country goal and turned around at the break with a 1-8 to 0-09 advantage showing on the scoreboard over the heads of the players as they headed to the dressing rooms.

Ballysaggart had an excellent start to this game and by the midway point of first half it looked as if they would join neighbouring clubs Lismore and Cappoquin as the only Waterford winners of the competition since it came into existence in 2004, but a strong second quarter by the East Cork side made this a little more difficult for them.

It was the West Waterford outfit that opened the scoring in this game with a Stephen Bennett free in the first minute, but it was quickly cancelled out with a similar effort by Declan Dalton. Kenneth Cashel and Dalton swapped scores by the sixth minute before the West Waterford side got on top.

Brothers Stephen and Shane Bennett added points for Ballysaggart before Joe Millerick pulled one back for the Cork side. Chris O’Gorman however cancelled out Millerick’s score and when the impressive Christy Murphy pointed for Ballysaggart on 11 minutes to give his side a 0-6 to 0-3 advantage, things were looking very good for them.

But Fr. O’Neill’s hit back. Two points from Paudie McMahon meant that there was just a single puck between the sides in Ballysaggart’s favour, but soon that lead would be wiped out.

On the quarter of an hour mark, Mark O’Keeffe picked out Billy Dunne who fired past Michael Ryan for the game’s first goal. Stephen Bennett and Christy Murphy followed up with responses for Ballysaggart to draw level, but the East Cork side would finish the half the stronger of the two sides as Rob Cullinane, Declan Dalton and Eoin Conway all landed points for the side in green and red shirts, but with the breeze at their backs for the second half Ballysaggart put themselves in a good position going into the second half when Chris O’Gorman put over the final score of the half.

The Cork side however should have been further in front at the break as they won a late 20 metre free which Declan Dalton, the holder of three Cork Senior Hurling Medals while playing with group side Imokilly opted to strike for a goal rather than to take the safer option, but Ballysaggart packed their goal line and Steven Mangan was able to block and then clear the danger.

Leading 1-8 to 0-9 at the break the Cork side had a fantastic start to the second half as Paudie McMahon played in Declan Dalton who finished past Michael Ryan to put his side in the driving seat.

However Ballysaggart refused to lie down and brothers Stephen and Shane Bennett split the posts before Dalton pointed once more for the Cork side just short of the midway point in the second half.

A brace of scores by Stephen Bennett, both from frees left two between the sides. Declan Dalton and Christy Murphy swapped scores before the cork side hit four scores in a row, substitute Liam O’Driscoll, Billy Dunne, Declan Dalton and another substitute Jason Hankard all finding the range to extend their sides lead.

Christy Murphy and Stephen Bennett with a brace hit back for Ballysaggart before the fourth official indicated that there would be four added minutes. In those added minutes Stephen Bennett took a quick free picking out younger brother Shane who with his back to goal doubled on the ball in flight and while many felt it had gone into the net the big local support amongst the 2,422 attendance were disappointed that the umpire indicated that the sliotar had gone to the right hand side of Colin Sloane’s upright.

Even with a three point lead with time ticking down fast, Fr. O’Neill’s could never say that victory would be theirs until the impressive Declan Dalton hit a free in the fourth minute of stoppage time at the end of the hour.

Fr O’Neill’s: Colin Sloane; Podge Butler, Ger Millerick, Mike Millerick; John Barry, Dan Harrington, Tomás Millerick; Joe Millerick, Kevin O’Sullivan; Mark O’Keeffe, Rob Cullinane, Paudie McMahon; Eoin Conway, Declan Dalton, Billy Dunne.

Subs: Liam O’Driscoll for Eoin Conway (40), Jason Hankard for Joe Millerick (48), Cillian Broderick for John Barry (59).

Scorers: Declan Dalton (1-7, 0-7 frees), Billy Dunne (1-1), Paudie McMahon (0-2), Joe Millerick, Rob Cullinane, Eoin Conway, Jason Hankard and Liam O’Driscoll (0-1 each).

Ballysaggart: Michael Ryan; Cailean O’Gorman, Kieran Fennessy, Eugene O’Brien; Steven, Stephen Bennett, Darren Meagher; Kieran Bennett, Christy Murphy; Ronan Walsh, Shane Bennett, Chris O’Gorman; Liam O’Gorman, Kenneth Cashel, Kyle Bennett.

Sub: Sam Ryan for Liam O’Gorman (half time).

Scorers: Stephen Bennett (0-8, 0-5 frees), Christy Murphy (0-4), Shane Bennett (0-2 frees), Chris O’Gorman (0-2), Kenneth Cashel (0-1).

Referee: John McCormack (Tipperary).