Ballinkillen frank group stage form to reach Junior Hurling Championship final
Mark Tracey celebrates scoring one of Ballinkillen's five goals
Twelve minutes into this junior hurling championship semi-final at Netwatch Cullen Park on Friday, Ballinkillen had all but booked their place in the final. Thanks to two goals from Marty Dalton and one from Mark Tracey they led by eight points. By half-time it was 4-7 to 0-3 to Ballinkillen with Damien O’Neill scoring the fourth three-pointer.
Carlow Town had taken the lead with an Adam Doyle point but they were playing catch-up after that. They still put in a solid second half and were rewarded with two goals from Dan Culleton while Cian Clancy converted a penalty.
In replay, Michael Butler, scored the fifth goal for the winners late on when his speculative effort found its way to the Carlow Town net.
21 Ballinkillen wides may have been a worry for the winning management team but they are in the final which will surely take its own course in two weeks time.
M Dalton 2-4, M Tracey 1-2 (2fs), D O’Neill 1-1, M Butler 1-0, C Tracey 0-3 (1f), C Meaney, P Kinsella 0-1 each.
D Culleton 2-1, C Clancy 1-1 (1-0 pen), S McCarthy 0-2 (fs), , A Doyle 0-1.
John Farrell; Conor Meaney, Colin Byrne, Padraig Kearney; Mark Dermody, Lauren Kinsella, Adam Smith; Lorcan Kinsella, Ian Craddock; Mark Tracey, Conor Tracey, Andrew Gaul; Marty Dalton, Damien O’Neill, Cian Meaney. Subs: Charlie Byrne for Smith (25), Padraig Kinsella for Gaul (35), Billy Nolan for Kearney (50), Paddy Heffernan for O’Neill (57), Michael Butler for Dalton (57).
Adam Maher; Rory Dunne, Eoin Townsend, Dan Culleton; Paul Gray, John Paul Lee, Lee Carpenter; Brian Delaney, Shane McCarthy; Dylan McGrath, Cathal O’Neill, Shaun Geoghegan; Adam Doyle, John Cleary, Brian Cawley. Subs: Cian Clancy for Doyle (5), Simon Walsh for Dunne (19), Dan Brennan for Geoghegan (h/t). Jack Doyle for Cleary (39), David Lynch for O’Neill (50).
James Tobin (St Patricks)
