Monday Rising: Club championship review
12:59, 02 Nov 2009
Sean Nolan
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It was fitting that on the day when the GAA celebrated 125 years of sporting excellence, we were treated to two wonderful games of hurling. What better present could the association give itself than the gift of two great games in November. We are being spoilt with the quality of games this year’s club hurling championship has given us. Perhaps it is the weather, but after a less than vintage year of inter-county hurling, we are getting some high-quality stuff to end the year.
The home of hurling was host to the main celebrations yesterday but despite their best effort, the local lads, Sarsfields, could not make it a perfect day, being squeezed out by Newtownshandrum at the death. But what a game.
After their poor show in the Tipperary county final, few expected Sarsfields to be this good. Perhaps the occasion spurred them on but they were magnificent, and can feel very unlucky to be retiring their gear for another year.
From start to finish this was gripping stuff, with Sars’ scoring 1-1 after two minutes thanks to Pa Bourke. The remainder of the half was an exhibition of hurling, with the O’Connor’s, Ben and Jerry, leading the scoring for Newtownshandrum, and the Maher’s, Denis and Philly, being the standouts for Sarsfields.
Add to that the scores from Cathal Naughton for the Cork team and the unerring accuracy of Bourke and halftime came with the scores high, 1-10 to the hosts, the visitors 0-12.
The game was not just a showcase for forwards, with some excellent defending, blocking, hooking and goalkeeping all in evidence. It was feisty too, with lots of controlled aggression on display. Only once that that spill over when Ger “Redser” O’Grady appeared to head butt Pat Mulcahy, even though Mulcahy had a helmet on and Redser didn’t. Both men received yellows and the Thurles sub could count himself very lucky to stay on the pitch.
When Michael Gleeson levelled it for Sarsfields with a minute to go, a draw seemed a fair and inevitable result but then Jerry O’Connor pounced on a loose ball and won the game. Pa Bourke drifted two long-range frees wide in injury time and the Munster champions from 2005 will now face Adare from Limerick. It was a bitter defeat for the Premier men and they will surely be back at this stage soon, but those who thought Newtownshandrum had faded were wrong. They are now a real contender to win not just Munster honours, but the All Ireland too.
Even more heartening for the Munster sides still in it was the action in the other big game of the day. Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny champions and therefore the de facto favourites, were pushed all the way and more by a very unlucky Oulart-The Ballagh in the Leinster club championship first round at Wexford Park.
It took extra-time to separate them, with Ballyhale eventually winning by 2-20 to 1-17 after 80 minutes of marvellous entertainment. In truth, the Wexford champions should have won it in normal time as they took the lead with just 30 seconds to go. But, as always, the Cats find a way. This time it was Eoin Reid who forced the extra periods.
The effort of getting that far seemed to have drained the Oulart team and they did not score for the first ten minutes of extra time. This was to prove fatal as Ballyhale took a three-point lead. A fight back in the final ten made it nervy for Ballyhale but they just about managed to hang on.
The display was heartening for Wexford hurling fans, as they saw a Wexford team put it up to a Kilkenny team for a full game and more. It sows seeds of hope in hearts that were almost barren.
Finally on hurling a word of congratulations to Ballyboden-St Enda’s. Their unbelievable year continues as they won their third-straight Dublin hurling title and completed the first senior double in Dublin since 1981. A seven-point win over Craobh Chiarain yesterday, thanks mainly to 1-11 from Paul Ryan, was easier than expected and in two weeks they face Ballyhale in the Leinster semi final. Their footballers play next Sunday so there is no break in the excitement or drama for their fans and players.
Speaking of football the weather washed out all the Ulster games, leaving the Kerry final the only game of note. As expected South Kerry held of Dr Crokes to win, 1-9 to 0-10, thanks chiefly to 1-4 from Bryan Sheehan and a late fisted winner from Declan O’Sullivan. The game was poor, Gooch only scored 0-1 (from a free) and the quality overall was not befitting a game of this magnitude.
It was a day when hurling, rightfully, took the spotlight and showed that when played well, it will surely be around for another 125 years and more.
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