Champions Crusheen go marching on

Crusheen 0-16   Ballyea 1-8

CHAMPIONS Crusheen became the first team to seal a quarter-final place in the 2011 race for the Canon Hamilton Trophy when they accounted for Ballyea in Round 4 of the senior hurling championship at Cusack Park on Friday evening.
They will have a bye in Round 5 when the battle for the runner-up spot should provide plenty of excitement.
At the end of play on Friday, Crusheen were deserving winners but they were made fight all the way for this latest success by a Ballyea side is a little unlucky not to have any points on the table after three outings.
Friday’s game was five minutes old before Paddy Meaney opened the scoring with a point for the winners and Shaun Dillon quickly followed with another before Niall Keane opened Ballyea’s account in the 10th minute.
Four in-a-row followed for the winners who were 0-6 to 0-1 in front after 22 minutes. They could have been further ahead at this stage but Jamie Fitzgibbon missed a great opportunity midway through the half.
Three minutes from half-time, Ballyea had a great chance of a goal when Kevin Sheehan got onto a Tony Kelly delivery but his effort went over the bar when it looked easier to goal.
David Forde, who was his side’s top scorer, and Gerry O’Grady ended the half strongly for the winners to leave them 0-9 to 0-3 in front at the mid-point.
Ballyea made a great start to the second half and a Tony Kelly point was followed by the game’s only goal, which came from substitute Francie O’Reilly, following a Cathal Doohan delivery. Points were exchanged twice before a minor from O’Reilly at the end of the third quarter left just the minimum between the sides.
An indication of the concern in the Crusheen camp came with the introduction of county senior captain Pat Vaughan, who hadn’t started the game due to injury.
David Forde and Tony Kelly exchanged points leaving the minimum between the teams with 10 minutes to go but this was as good as it got for Ballyea and the champions went on to finish strongly with points from Fergus Kennedy, Paddy Meaney, Pat Vaughan and Gearóid O’Donnell. In injury time, Shane O’Neill in the Ballyea goal made a fine save from Paddy Meaney.
Ciarán O’Doherty, Cathal Dillon and Alan Brigdale were always prominent in defence for the winners, while elsewhere, David Forde was in great form scoring four points from play.
Paul Flanagan, Gearóid O’Connell, Tony Kelly and Niall Keane did well for Ballyea.

Crusheen: Donal Tuohy John  Brigdale, Cronan Dillon Alan Brigdale; Ciarán O’Doherty, Cian Dillon, Cathal Dillon; Shaun Dillon, Fergus Kennedy; Jamie Fitzgibbon, Joseph Meaney, David Forde; Paddy Meaney, Gerry O’Grady, Gearóid O’Donnell.
Subs: Conor O’Donnell for S Dillon (43 minutes); Pat Vaughan for J Meaney (50 minutes).
Scorers: David Forde (0-4); Gearóid O’Donnell (0-3); Joe Meaney (frees), Paddy Meaney, Gerry O’Grady (0-2 each); Fergus Kennedy, Pat Vaughan (free); Shaun Dillon (0-1).
Frees for: 9; wides: 11; 65s: 1.
Bookings: Joe Meaney (42 minutes).
“We had to battle very hard. We made hard work of it. The first few minutes of the second half crippled us as we conceded 1-1 and let Ballyea right back into the game and it was always going to be a dogfight to the end after that. In fairness to the lads, they did widen the gap again after a struggle. We did show a lot of weaknesses. Ballyea brought us back down to earth after the Newmarket game. I am delighted with the result but not with the performance,” Michael Browne, Crusheen.
Ballyea: Shane O’Neill; Declan Keane, Paul Flanagan, James Murphy; Cathal O’Connor, Gearóid O’Connell, Cathal Doohan; Paddy O’Connell, Tony Kelly; Tony Griffin, Niall Keane, Niall Deasy; Brian Murphy, Kevin Sheehan, Francie Neylon.
Subs: Eamonn Griffin for J Murphy (21 minutes); Francie O’Reily for B Murphy (half time); Alan Carigg for O’Connor (42 minutes); Frankie Griffin for Nealon (52 minutes); Donal Sheehan for Doohan (53 minutes).
Scorers: Tony Kelly (0-5, 3f); Francie O’Reilly (1-1); Niall Keane, Kevin Sheehan (0-1 each).
Frees for: 14; wides: 11.
Bookings: Declan Keane (37 minutes).
“We have to start winning games. We haven’t won any game in the championship and we only won one last year. We are out of the championship for another year and that’s hard to take. An exceptional conveyor belt has been put in place by the minor club and it will come right eventually. The positive we can take is that we are gaining experience everyday we go out,” Michael Hehir, Ballyea.
Referee: Rory Hickey, Éire Óg.