Impressive Roscrea march on in Munster

GAA: AIB Munster Club Intermediate Club Hurling Championship Quarter Final

Roscrea 4-21

Ballysaggart 0-15

Report: Michael Dundon at FBD Semple Stadium

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Sam Conlon (Roscrea)

SCORERS – Roscrea: Luke Cashin (2 frees), Conor Sheedy 1-6 each; Sam Conlon 1-2; Shane Fletcher 1-1; Evan Fitzpatrick 0-2; Darragh Tynan, Daniel Ryan, Alan Tynan, Jason Gilmartin 0-1 each.

Ballysaggart: Stephen Bennett 0-9 (6 frees); Steven Mangan, Shane Bennett 0-2 each; Darren Meagher, John Roche 0-1 each.

Rampant Roscrea ran riot in the second half to rout Waterford challengers Ballysaggart in the Munster Club Intermediate Hurling Championship quarter-final on Sunday, booking their spot in the semi-final against Cork’s Inniscarra on November 19th.

Roscrea were fancied to get the better of the runners-up in the Waterford championship (Ballygunner won the title but are ineligible to play in the intermediate championship because they are a senior club), but nobody predicted such a big winning margin, and up to the interval there was no indication of what was to come.

The odds were stacked against Ballysaggart. Eight weeks had elapsed since their county final appearance which presented its own difficulties in keeping a team up to championship pace. In the meantime, they lost county panellist Kieran Bennett, one of their foremost attackers who was unavailable, and to further their misfortune midfielder and Waterford star Shane Bennett had to retire just before the break with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.

Even allowing for all that, Roscrea were by far the better team and when they got motoring in the second half, they ripped the Ballysaggart defence apart, outscoring them 3-10 to 0-3 over the period. Ballysaggart had no answer to Roscrea’s pace, team-work, and energy and after enjoying a slender 1-11 to 0-12 advantage at half-time,

Roscrea bolted into an unassailable 3-16 to 0-13 lead inside ten minutes of resuming. During that spell, Roscrea played their best hurling of the year and if they can retain that level of performance, they will make a bold bid for provincial honours. Some slack shooting (15 wides) and the concession of some soft frees, will give manager Liam England food for thought in the run-up to the Inniscarra clash, but overall, it was a great day for Roscrea and how their followers relished it.

Roscrea were on the front foot from the start. Goalie Daryl Ryan denied Stephen Bennett a Ballysaggart goal in the first minute and thirty seconds later Shane Fletcher had the ball in the net, Sam Conlon creating the chance. Luke Cashin was lively and inventive with three points as they moved 1-5 to 0-4 clear after ten minutes.

Daryl Ryan rescued Roscrea again with a smart save from Jack Ryan after fifteen minutes. They were 1-6 to 0-7 ahead in a gripping contest when Ballysaggart ‘s county man Shane Bennett pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. He continued in the full forward line for a spell before retiring during injury time in the first half, at which stage Roscrea were leading 1-11 to 0-12.

The opening ten minutes of the second half saw Roscrea in full flight. Three points in as many minutes from Shane Fletcher, Sam Conlon and Daniel Ryan were followed by a Conlon goal from a Fletcher pass in the 34th minute. Conor Sheedy then pointed before Luke Cashin netted from a Conlon set-up, and Conor Sheedy added a point to put Roscrea 3-16 to 0-13 clear and on their way to the semi-final. It was breath-taking stuff from Roscrea and the Waterford challengers could not live with it.

There was no way back for a Ballysaggart side whose heads had dropped, and Conor Sheedy rounded off a fine personal performance with the fourth goal after 44 minutes.

The only blight on the afternoon for Roscrea was the red-carding of Jason Gilmartin along with Ballysaggart’s Liam O’Gorman in the 63rd minute after an unfortunate rush of blood to the heads of both parties.

So, Roscrea go forward to meet Inniscarra and on this form have every reason for optimism. They have the talent right through the team to succeed and while Sam Conlon, Luke Cashin, Conor Sheedy’s scoring exploits deservedly make the headlines, the great defensive work of Shane Davis, Darragh Tynan and Darren O’Connor and Daniel Ryan’s hard-grafting at midfield were also significant features of this Roscrea performance. Conlon’s ball-winning ability and his distribution to colleagues was particularly worthy of notice.

The long lay-off left Ballysaggart a tad ring-rusty but even at their best they would have found it hard to better this Roscrea side. They relied heavily on Stephen Bennett for their scores and while he did deliver handsomely, he lacked support. Steven Mangan, John Roche, Sam Ryan, and Shane Bennett until injured, did most for them.

TEAMS - Roscrea: Daryl Ryan (7); Shane Davis (7), Keith McMahon (6), James Synott (6); Michael Campion (6), Darren O’Connor (6), Darragh Tynan (7); Daniel Ryan (7), Jason Fitzpatrick (6); Alan Tynan (6), Luke Cashin (7), Evan Fitzpatrick (6); Conor Sheedy (9), Shane Fletcher (7), Sam Conlon (9).

Subs: Joe Carroll (6) for Conlon (44); Jason Gilmartin (5) for Fletcher (45), Conor Phelan (6) for Synott (48), Kenny Lee (6) for J Fitzpatrick (48); Conor Shanahan (NR) for Cashin (56).

Ballysaggart: Michael Ryan (6); Liam O’Gorman (5), Darren Meagher (6), Jamie O’Brien (6); John Roche (6), Sam Ryan (6), Steven Mangan (7); Shane Bennett (7), Kyle Bennett (6); Ronan Walsh (6), Ryan Bennett (6), Ken Cashel (6); Stephen Bennett (7), Kieran Fennessy (6), Jack Ryan (6).

Subs: Tomas Nugent (6) for Shane Bennett (30+2 inj); Jack Cunningham (NR) for Cashel (57); Eoin O’Brien (NR) for Fennessy (57); Sean Nugent (NR) for J Ryan (59); Chris O’Gorman for Walsh (59).

Referee: Simon Stokes (Cork)