Bagenalstown emerge on top after closely fought Junior final
Bagenalstown Gaels celebrate with the Junior Hurling Championship trophy Photo: Pat Ahern
Bagenalstown Gaels are the Carlow junior hurling champions. At Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday, they were deserving winners edging out their rivals who had gone through the group stages unbeaten.
A low scoring first half was a fair indication that the occasion had got to the players. Ballinkillen opened best and points from Damien O’Neill, Ian Craddock and Mark Treacy pushed them clear. Adam Dowling got Bagenalstown Gaels off the mark with a 7th minute point. Adam Walsh added another and the gauntlet had been thrown down.
Marty Dalton, the Ballinkillen go-to scorer for the season so far missed a great chance but he was well marshalled by an alert Gaels defence. With Ballinkillen three ahead and half-time approaching, a long ball was gathered by Darren Hickey who turned and found the bottom left-hand corner of the net at the scoreboard end of the ground.
Just before half-time, Rory Doyle pointed and now the Bagenalstown side led 1-4 to 0-6 at the change of ends.
From start to finish it was a closely fought encounter. Crucially all the Bagenalstown starting six forwards scored from play. At the other end, their backs fought as if their very lives depended on it. They and Sam Griffith in particular kept the Ballinkillen danger man, Marty Dalton, scoreless. They kept their noses in front to the very end with Alan Whelan’s giving the eventual winners a two point lead which Ballinkillen were unable to overcome.
R Doyle (2fs) 0-4, D Hickey 1-0, O Dillon, A Walsh 0-2 each, A Dowling, A Whelan, C Beck 0-1 each.
C Tracey (2fs sl) 0-4, D O’Neill, A Gaule, I Craddock, M Treacy 0-2 each, P Heffernan 0-1(f)
Neil Martin; Frank Cushen, Liam Cummins, Thomas Geoghegan; Mark Kennedy, Ronan Minchin, Sam Griffith; Paddy Abbey, David Kennedy; Darren Hickey, Adam Walsh, Conor Beck; Aidan Dowling, Oisin Dillon, Rory Doyle. Subs: Conor Lennon for Geoghegan (40), Alan Whelan for Hickey (47), Jamie O’Neill for Walsh (58), Thomas McDonnell for Kennedy (58).
John Farrell; Conor Meaney, Colin Byrne, Padraic Kearney; Mark Dermody, Lauren Kinsella, John Hughes; Lorcan Kinsella, Ian Craddock; Mark Tracey, Conor Treacy, Andrew Gaule; Marty Dalton, Damien O’Neill, Cian Meaney. Subs: Padraig Kinsella for Kinsella (27), Paddy Heffernan for O’Neill (temporary 37), Billy Nolan for Kearney (40), Colin Bolger for M Tracey (44), Micheál Ryan for Meaney (51).
Jonathan Murphy (St Mullins).
