Cashel click into gear late on to finally dispatch stubborn Ballina

Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship - Group 1 - Round 3

Cashel King Cormacs 2-23

Ballina 0-26

Cashel King Cormacs edged out a determined Ballina side to qualify top of their group and progress to this year’s county Premier Intermediate quarter-finals following an enthralling clash in Borrisoleigh on Saturday afternoon.

In a game that kept a sizeable attendance the edge of their seats throughout both sides served up some serious championship fare as they went at it hammer and tongs from the very get-go despite the showery weather conditions in evidence throughout.

A heavy pre-match shower left a greasy sheen on the pitch, but both sides coped admirably with the slippy underfoot conditions. Playing with the aid of a diagonal breeze blowing into the scoreboard corner Andy Moloney’s charges kept pace with the north side for the first 20 minutes of the tie in what was very much a nip-and-tuck contest.

During that opening 20-minute spell freetaker Anthony Walsh converted three points from placed balls and together with points from Ger Browne and the imperious Ronan Connolly (three from play), the Ollie Moran-coached side were well and truly able to keep pace with a Ballina outfit which saw Matthew Power convert two points from placed balls while Charlie King, Steven O’Brien, Jack Collins and Cathal O’Donnell were all in target for the men in blue.

Ballina’s backroom team of manager Eamonn Power and selectors Adrian King, Mark Cooney and Sean Collins had their side well primed for this encounter and this was noticeably evident in their well-rehearsed puckouts and pre-planned plays. In the middle of the park David Kelly was causing untold problems for Cashel while Steven O’Brien was the main threat in a dangerous-looking Ballina attack.

And it was this attack which really went to town on Cashel between the 20th and 29th-minute mark. A sweet point from Brian Hurley together with a well-orchestrated Cathal O’Donnell effort fired Ballina two clear before Steven O’Brien helped himself to a brace to double the Lakesider's advantage. Cashel managed to stem the rising blue and white tide with a well-struck Eoghan Connolly free before Matthew Power arrowed over a close-range free.

With five minutes of normal time remaining Anthony Walsh (free) hit back for Cashel but Ballina’s response was swift with both Matthew Power (free) and Brian Hurley on target. 

Leading by five, Ballina were clearly in the ascendancy at this stage but an overthrown Michael Breen handpass looped over goalkeeper Martin McKeogh’s head and out for a 65’ which Eoghan Connolly duly converted.

However, this slight blip in Ballina’s excellent opening half play served to upset their momentum and ushered in a game-levelling purple patch for the West men. Cashel whittled down Ballina’s lead in time added on with a Johnathan Walsh point coupled with a cracking Ger Browne goal after he pulled first time on Paddy Fahy’s incisive through ball to ensure the men in red went in level at the break, 1-11 to 0-14.

Cashel emerged determined to build upon their impressive fining to the first half and quickly snatched the lead thanks to a cracking Ross Bonnar point straight from the re-start. The third quarter proved a very tight affair with the sides level on no less than seven occasions. 

Steven O’Brien, Matthew Power (three frees), Eoghan Power, Charlie King all raised white flags for Ballina while Cashel kept pace with an Eoghan Connolly free, a second from Ross Bonnar and a brace from Ger Browne coupled with points from the influential James Cummins and Cathal Quinn ensuring the sides were locked at 0-21 to 1-18 with 44 minutes elapsed.

Cashel then struck for what was the pivotal score of the half, a 45th minute Conn Bonnar goal after a last-ditch goal-line attempt to prevent it by Ballina’s wing-back, Jack Collins only managed to clear James Cummins’ low goalbound drive into the path of the inrushing Bonnar. The goal noticeably rejuvenated Cashel’s collective effort but Ballina were nothing if resilient and by the 54th minute the deficit was back down to a solitary point thanks to successive Matthew Power frees.

Ballina drew upsides seconds later after Michael Breen was fouled and Matthew Power once more duly obliged from a placed ball before Cashel made a brave call to bring a clearly bemused Ger Browne ashore with the game well and truly in the melting pot. Jack O’Connor was drafted into the fray and it proved a very beneficial decision by the Cashel management after he edged the men in red into a two-point advantage with a sublime effort right on the cusp of normal time after Cathal Quinn had fired over an audacious effort from long-range to hand Cashel a 58th minute advantage.

Ballina were now forced to go all-in in a bid to close the gap, but a missed Matthew Power free in the 62nd minute hampered their efforts to get back on terms. Despite being in the depths of time added on game could have swung in either direction still but up stepped James Cummins to arrow over an all-important point to guarantee a top spot finish for an impressive Cashel side.

Ballina can count themselves unlucky not to have come away with something out of what was a hugely entertaining clash with big performances on the day from Steven O’Brien, David Kelly, Matthew Power, Jack Collins, Brian Hurley, Charlie King, Paddy O’Donovan and Cathal O’Donnell while Eoghan Connolly, Ronan Connolly, Ross Bonnar, Ger Browne, James Cummins and Cathal Quinn and Conn Bonnar were impressive for Cashel.

Cashel King Cormacs: Aaron Browne; Pauric Brosnan, Simon Delaney, Ciaran Quinn; Ronan Connolly (0-3), Eoghan Connolly (0-4, 0-3f, 0-1 65), Conor O’Dwyer; Anthony Walsh (0-5, 0-4f), Cathal Quinn (0-2); Ross Bonnar (0-3), Paddy Fahy, James Cummins (0-2); Jonathan Walsh, Ger Browne (1-3), David McGrath.

Subs used: Conn Bonnar (1-0) for Anthony Walsh (38); Daniel Moloney for Brosnan (44); Adrian Cummins for D McGrath (46); Jack McGrath for Jonathan Walsh (48); Jack O’Connor (0-1) for G. Browne (55).

Ballina: Martin McKeogh; Paddy O’Donovan, James Hanly, Conor Power; Jack Collins (0-1), Michael Breen, Terry O’Halloran; Sam Loughran, David Kelly; Eoghan Power (0-1), Matthew Power (0-14, 0-12f), Brian Hurley (0-2); Charlie King (0-2), Steven O’Brien (0-4), Cathal O’Donnell (0-2).

Subs used: Zach Egan for Loughran (48); Ben King for Hurley (52); Diarmuid Whelan for O’Halloran (56).

Referee: Kevin Jordan (Thurles Gaels)