Treacy bags hat-trick as Ballinkillen make sure of semi-final place

JJ KAVANAGH & SONS SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 4 

BALLINKILLEN 5-15 BAGENALSTOWN GAELS 1-12 

 Ballinkillen assured themselves of a place in the senior hurling championship semi-finals thanks to this easy win in Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday.

Early points from TJ Darcy, Darragh Nolan (free) and JP Treacy edged Bagenalstown Gaels in front with Eric English knocking over two Ballinkillen points.

Coming towards the end of the first quarter, Ballinkillen attacked down the left and Jack Treacy scored a close-range goal. It was end to end stuff after that with Nolan using the strong breeze well to score a long-range point from play and landing another free.

Just before half-time, Treacy struck for a second goal and Ballinkillen led 2-5 to 0-7 at the change of ends.

Early second half points with the wind in their backs from English and Ciaran Whelan gave Ballinkillen the momentum to put the ante. Jake Doyle scored the first of his five points in the half for the Gaels but when Treacy picked out Craig Wall with the perfect pass for another Ballinkillen goal, the game died a death. The same player repeated his feat at the start of the last quarter while Treacy completed his hat-trick late on.

Jake Doyle found the Ballinkillen net with a free late on from just outside the 20 meter line but all it did was put a respectable look on the scoreline.

Scorers: 

Ballinkillen:J Treacy 3-2, C Wall 2-3, C Whelan (4fs), E English (1f) 0-5 each.

Bagenalstown Gaels: J Doyle 1-5 (fs), D Nolan 0-3 (2fs), TJ Darcy 0-2, JP Treacy, C Doyle 0-1 each.

BALLINKILLEN: 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: Adam Ryan for Lomax (49), Sean Brennan for Foley (49), Sean Cummins for Hynes (53), Patrick Kelly for A Wall (50), Eoin Kavanagh for J Wall (59).

BAGENALSTOWN GAELS: Andrew Townsend; Sean Wall, Alan Corcoran, Alan Wall; Cian Doyle, Darragh Nolan, Darren Crooks; Ross O’Neill, Mark McDonald; JP Treacy, Jason Wall, Danny Doyle; TJ Darcy, Jamie Clarke, Jake Doyle. Subs: Andrew Casey for Crooks (37), Billy Fitzpatrick for J Wall (42), Kealan Guidera for O’Neill (48).

Referee: Shane Foley (St Mullins).