Goals galore as Ballinkillen get the better of Naomh Eoin
Ballinkillen's Craig Wall celebrates scoring his second goal to help seal victory over Naomh Eoin. Photo: Pat Ahern
Ballinkillen picked up their third win in this year's JJ Kavanagh & Sons Senior Hurling Championship, with a late flurry of goals seeing them get the better of Naomh Eoin on Saturday evening in Netwatch Cullen Park.
The sides were all square with ten minutes remaining after John Micheal Nolan and Ciaran Whelan had controlled the game for their respective sides, but Craig Wall raised two green flags very late in the day to give Ballinkillen the points and condemn Naomh Eoin to their fourth consecutive loss, leaving the Myshall men without even a single point on the Championship table.
John Michael Nolan got Naomh Eoin off to a promising start, with two early frees followed by a beauty from play.
1-1 from the lively Ciaran Whelan gave Ballinkillen the lead with a glorious goal in the ninth minute, charging through the middle and tapping the ball over the defender's head before firing past Brian Tracey into the bottom far corner.
Nolan and Whelan traded frees midway through the half before referee Sean McCormack called for a water break.
Ballinkillen were on top after the resumption, landing three scores on the spin - two from Whelan and one from Marty Dalton - to move five points ahead with as many minutes remaining in the first half.
Nolan landed a free for Naomh Eoin and then laid off a deft pass to Michael Nolan who duly split the posts to make it a three-point game heading into stoppage time.
Kevin Kavanagh landed the final score of the half down at the O'Hanrahans end to leave Ballinkillen in the ascendancy at the break, leading 1-7 to 0-6.
The first half was a tale of two players, with John Micheal Nolan scoring five of Naomh Eoin's six points, while Ciaran Whelan had 1-4 on the board in an impressive first half for Ballinkillen.
Whelan added to his tally just 90 seconds after the restart with his third free of the evening, with Mark Foley and substitute Craig Wall getting on the scoresheet to put seven points between the teams.
Scott Tracey pulled one back for Naomh Eoin, but that was quickly cancelled out with a long-range effort from Wall.
Nolan pointed three unanswered frees between the 40th minute and the 45th to close the gap; Jack Treacy replied for Ballinkillen before a brilliantly struck free from Nolan in the 47th minute gave Thomas Dowling no chance in the Ballinkillen goal.
Naomh Eoin lost ground when Eric English and Craig Wall pointed for Ballinkillen, but another close-range free for the Myshall men allowed Nolan to fire a rocket into the net once again; and when substitute Kyle Foley added a point seconds later the sides were level with 52 minutes on the clock.
But Ballinkillen dominated the closing stages, outscoring Naomh Eoin by 3-1 to 0-2 before the final whistle. Padraig Hynes hit the net with a thunderous strike before Wall raised two green flags in the final five minutes to help his side to a nine-point victory.
JM Nolan 2-9 (2-7f), M Nolan, S Tracey, K Foley and J Smithers 0-1 each.
C Whelan 1-6 (0-3f), C Wall 2-3, P Hynes 1-0, C O'Neill, M Dalton, K Kavanagh, M Foley, J Treacy and E English 0-1 each.
Brian Tracey; Diarmaid Deacon, Micheal Kavanagh, Patrick Doyle; Michael Nolan, Diego Dunne, Ger Kavanagh; Eoin Nosey, Colm Beck; John Micheal Nolan, Adam Kenny, Adhan Keogh; Can Quirke, Scott Tracey, Ciaran Abbey.
Gary Bennett and Kyle Foley for O'Shea and James Doyle (both HT), James Smithers for Kenny (43), James Behan for Keogh (57), Peter Abbey for C Abbey (60).
Thomas Dowling; Jamie wall, Dion Wall, Mark Foley; Ian Craddock, David English, Eric English; Cormac Lomax, Kevin Kavanagh; Adam Ryan, Ciaran Whelan, Padraig Hynes; Ciaran O'Neill, Marty Dalton, Jack Treacy.
Craig Wall for Dalton (HT), Cian Meaney for O'Neill (43), Beanie Whelan for Ryan (56), Padraig Kearney for C Wall (59), Sean Brennan for English (60).
Sean McCormack.
