Ballinkillen's Championship hopes get major shot in the arm
Ballinkillen's Sean Murphy scores a fine point from distance Photo: Pat Ahern
Ballinkillen blitzed their opponents in this third-round senior hurling championship tie at Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday. From the start they were always in control and they were set on their way by a Sean Murphy goal when he ran at the defence who stood off him.
It was easy for Ballinkillen with Jack Treacy and Ciaran Whelan finding holes in a porous defence. Never at any stage did Naomh Eoin get a period in the ascendancy. At the interval, Ballinkillen led 1-12 to 0-7 with Ciaran Abbey’s frees giving some semblance of respectability to Naomh Eoin.
It was more of the same in the second half. Treacy had two shots saved by Brian Tracey in the Naomh Eoin goal and the keeper also saved a penalty from Whelan.
It was a saunter to the end with five of the starting Ballinkillen forwards scoring from play as Naomh Eoin were unable to find a way to find any momentum in what was a disappointing display.
C Whelan 0-11 (8fs), S Murphy 1-3, J Treacy 0-5, E English 0-4, P Hynes 0-2, K Kavanagh 0-1
C Abbey 0-6 (fs), J Smithers 0-2, P Abbey, A Jordan, C Quirke, D Dunne, JM Nolan 0-1 each
Thomas Dowling; Mark Foley, Dion Wall, Ciaran O’Neill; Eric English, David English, Fionn Hickey; Jamie Wall, Cormac Lomax; Ciaran Whelan, Sean Murphy, Craig Wall; Kevin Kavanagh, Padraig Hynes, Jack Treacy. Subs: Sean Brennan for Hickey (50), Sean Cummins for C Wall (53), Adam Ryan for Murphy (57).
Brian Tracey, Diarmaid Deacon, Michael Kavanagh, Tommy Nolan; Michael Nolan, Dwain Kavanagh, Jamie Behan; Paddy Doyle, Diego Dunne; Tadgh Daly, Eoin Hosey, Ciaran Abbey; Andy Jordan, John Michael Nolan, James Smithers. Subs: Cian Quirke for Behan (h/t), Ger Kavanagh for Deacon (h/t), Peter Abbey for M Kavanagh (49), James O’Hara for T Nolan (50).
Paud O’Dwyer (Palatine).
