Roscrea blitz Ballysaggart in second half to set up Inniscarra semi-final clash

AIB Munster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship Quarter-Final

ROSCREA 4-12

BALLYSAGGART 0-15

A devastating start to the second half by Roscrea swept the Tipperary champions to an eighteen points win over Waterford’s Ballysaggart in the Munster club intermediate hurling quarter-final at Semple stadium on Sunday, the prize for the victors being a clash with Cork’s Inniscarra in the semi- final at the same venue on Saturday November 19th.

Nobody would have predicted such an outcome at half-time. An absorbing first half saw Roscrea get off to a great start with a Shane Fletcher goal after just two minutes and the Tipp champions were calling the shots thereafter, with Sam Conlon in particular a huge threat to the Waterford goal.

However, with the Bennetts, Stephen and Shane, leading by example, Ballysaggart kept Roscrea in their sights and were just two points behind, 0-7 to 1-6 when they suffered a huge blow, Shane Bennett pulling up with what looked like a hamstring injury after 19 minutes.

He moved to the full forward line but eventually was withdrawn after 32 minutes as Roscrea established a 1-11 to 0-12 advantage by the interval.

Anybody’s game at that stage certainly but what a start to the second half as Roscrea blitzed their opponents in the opening nine minutes to put the game beyond their reach. Inside 90 seconds Roscrea had fired over three points through Fletcher, Conlon and Daniel Ryan and in the 33rd minute Fletcher set up Conlon for a goal that rocked Ballysaggart.

After Conor Sheedy pointed, Roscrea struck again, Luke Cashin benefitting from Sam Conlon’s pass to rifle home their third goal before Sheedy added another point to put Roscrea 3-16 to 0-13 clear and coasting after 39 minutes.

It was an extraordinary restart by Roscrea and on 44 minutes Conor Sheedy capped it off with Roscrea’s 4th goal off a Fletcher “feed”. In all that period Ballysaggart had just one point, Stephen Bennett’s free in the 34th minute.

To all intents and purposes the game was over, so much so that Roscrea Manager Liam England could afford to withdraw key men before the finish to give game- time to his fringe players.

Only disappointment for the Tipp champions was the loss to a red card of Jason Gilmartin in injury time, he and Ballysaggart’s Liam O'Gorman getting their marching orders after an imprudent tangle.

It was a hugely impressive performance by Roscrea, the quality and pace of whose hurling Ballysaggart couldn’t live with in the second half. Manager Liam England was extremely pleased with his side’s second half showing.

“We got what we expected from Ballysaggart in the first half but we felt that with a young team we would have the legs at the finish.”

The loss of Shane Bennett was a big blow to them and they were a bit deflated afterwards, but we created over 40 scoring chances and scored 25 times, and you’d have to be happy with that”, he said.

Looking ahead to the clash with Inniscarra in the semi-final, the former Roscrea and Tipp dual star said “Like all Cork teams at this level they are very good, and we will look forward to playing them”, he added.

The Roscrea full forward trio were lethal in this game, bagging 3-9 between them, with Sam Conlon particularly impressive with his ability to win hard ball and set up colleagues as well as taking his own scores.

Conor Sheedy and Luke Cashin were also on top of their game while Daniel Ryan, Shane Davis, Darragh Tynan and goalie Daryl Ryan who made a couple of vital saves in the first half, were others to significantly contribute to this win.

Ballysaggart were runners-up in the Waterford championship losing to Ballygunner in the final( as a senior club Ballygunner, who also won the Waterford senior championship, cannot compete in the intermediate provincial championship) and had not played for eight weeks.

On top of that they were without Kieran Bennett, one of their key forwards, and then the loss of Shane Bennett at half-time really undermined their challenge.

After a combative first half, they collapsed on the change-over and were a beaten team long before the final whistle.
Stephen Bennett was their main threat in attack with Shane Bennett until injured, Steven Mangan, John Roche and Darren Meagher others to figure prominently.

Roscrea: Daryl Ryan; Shane Davis, Keith McMahon, James Synott; Michael Campion, Darren O’Connor, Darragh Tynan (0-1); Daniel Ryan (0-1), Jason Fitzpatrick; Alan Tynan (0-1), Luke Cashin (1- 6, 0-2f), Evan Fitzpatrick (0-2); Conor Sheedy (1-6), Shane Fletcher (1-1), Sam Conlon (1-2).

Subs: Joe Carroll for Conlon (44), Jason Gilmartin (0-1) for Fletcher (45), Conor Phelan for Synott (48), Kenny Lee for J Fitzpatrick (48), Conor Shanahan for Cashin (56).

Balllysaggart: Michael Ryan; Liam O Gorman, Darren Meagher, Jamie O Brien; John Roche (0-1), Sam Ryan, Steven Mangan (0-2); Shane Bennett (0-2), Kyle Bennett; Ronan Walsh, Ryan Bennett, Ken Cashel; Stephen Bennett (0-9, 0-6f), Kieran Fennessy, Jack Ryan.

Subs: Tomas Nugent for Shane Bennett (32), Jack Cunningham for Cashel (57), Eoin O’Brien for Fennessy (57), Sean Nugent for J Ryan (59), Chris O'Gorman for Walsh (59).

Referee: Simon Stokes (Cork)