Silvermines oust Cork’s best to secure Munster final spot

GAA: All-Ireland Junior ‘B’ Hurling Series - Munster Semi-Final

Silvermines 1-20

Ballyclough 0-11

By James Hayden

Silvermines booked their spot in the Munster Junior ‘B’ Hurling final with a comprehensive twelve-point victory over Ballyclough in Killeedy on Saturday.

The Cork champions put up a determined and gutsy challenge but from the very get-go it was obvious that the reigning Tipperary champions were the more polished outfit at the West Limerick venue.

Silvermines picked up where they left off following a fully deserved county final victory over Thurles Sarsfields in December and took the game to Ballyclough right from the off.

The opening ten minutes saw the ‘Mines forge an early five-point lead with Orrie Quirke arrowing over a fine point after just 28 seconds before Ballyclough’s opening point from the stick of Sean O’Leary ensured the Cork champions kept pace.

Ballyclough raided again and almost pilfered an early goal but Damien Buckley’s first-time effort only served to rattle the side-netting.

Ronan Cunneen edged Silvermines back in front with a close-range free after Ciarán Timmons was pulled to the ground before Orrie Quirke and Eamonn Corcoran combined well to afford centre-forward, Willie Keogh the chance to fire over his side’s third point.

Silvermines were by now settled into a nice early rhythm while Ballyclough were forced to live off scraps. Sean Spillane arrowed over a sublime effort to edge the ‘Mines four clear before David Shanahan’s effort from a long-range free was gathered well by Edmond O’Connor in the Ballyclough goal. As O’Connor went to clear though he connected with the helmet of the inrushing Eamonn Corcoran with the Silvermines full-forward subsequently forced off for treatment.

Silvermines kept the scoreboard ticking over though with Ronan Cunneen seizing upon a poor Ballyclough puckout and bisecting the uprights with ease. Blood substitute Ger Leamy extended Silvermines’ lead to six with a cracking eleventh minute point as the men from Avondhú struggled to hang on to the coat tails of the Tipp champions.

In reply, Ballyclough’s impressive wing-back Adam Finnegan, gathered a neat hand-pass from Denis O’Neill and fired over a booming long-range effort. Finnegan was on hand again sixty seconds later to land another long-range point, this time from a placed ball.

Ballyclough were starting to build some much-needed momentum at this stage and Finnegan was again instrumental in their fourth point, finding corner-forward Jack Moynihan with an incisive ball before he turned neatly and pointed with aplomb to reduce the deficit to three.

Ballyclough narrowed the gap further in the eighteenth minute with a close-range Thomas O’Neill free. Sean Quirke’s charges were clearly under pressure at this stage as the Cork champions attempted to fight their way back into contention.

Silvermines defended stoutly though and responded well in the closing stages of the half. Ronan Cunneen gratefully accepted a deft Eamonn Corcoran hand-pass to arrow over and get the scoreboard ticking for the ‘Mines once again on 21 minutes, 0-8 to 0-4.

David Ludgate responded for Ballyclough with a fantastic effort from range, but Willie Keogh immediately cancelled it with his second from play. Silvermines raided again seconds later with Willie Keogh and Orrie Quirke combining well to put Sean Spillane clean through on goal. Spillane’s effort was well-saved though as was Eamonn Corcoran’s follow-up strike as Ballyclough’s net remained intact.

Eoin Seymour fired the ‘Mines four clear after his initial effort rebounded off the post before the men in blue & white were dealt a blow on the cusp of half-time with Eamonn Corcoran forced off again with a hamstring injury.

Silvermines increased their lead in time added on thanks to a Ronan Cunneen free from 45 metres, which that ensured the Silvermines took a deserved 0-11 to 0-6 lead to the dressing rooms.

The ‘Mines pushed on in the third quarter with the effervescent Eoin Seymour putting six between the sides straight from the re-start.

Silvermines were dealt a further blow after they were reduced to fourteen-men on 38 minutes with wing-back Michéal Hogan receiving a straight red card after a challenge on Ballyclough midfielder Shane Buckley.

Ronan Cunneen added to the ‘Mines tally with a fine point before Edmond O’Connor pulled off a fine full-length save from a rasping Ger Leamy shot as the ‘Mines coped admirably with the best Ballyclough could muster despite their numerical disadvantage.

A second point from play from player of the match, Ger Leamy extended the ‘Mines advantage before three on the bounce from Ballyclough narrowed the gap to six with ten minutes remaining.

Ger Leamy raided again though on 51 minutes and this time he rattled the Ballyclough net to leave the Cork champions with a serious mountain to climb, 1-15 to 0-9.

Silvermines continued to dominate in the closing stages, outscoring the Cork champions by five points to two with points from Davy Keogh (2 frees), Orrie Quirke, Patrick Steed and Niall Curran copper-fastening a hard-fought yet convincing win for the Tipperary champions.

Silvermines will face Ballybrown from Limerick in the final on Saturday, 8th February, again in Killeedy, after the Limerick champions proved far too strong for Clare champions, Inagh-Kilnamona in their semi-final.

Player of the Match: Ger Leamy (Silvermines)

Silvermines: David Shanahan (7); Ben Claffey (7), Eddie Ryan (Capt 8), Tiernan Flynn (7); Michéal Hogan (7), Cathal Gleeson (7), Seán Murphy (7); Eoin Seymour (0-2, 8), Orrie Quirke (0-2, 7); Sean Spillane (0-1, 7), Willie Keogh (0-2, 7), Ciarán Timmons (7), Ronan Cunneen (0-7, 3f, 8), Eamonn Corcoran (7), Patrick Steed (0-1, 7).

Subs: Ger Leamy (1-2, 8) for Corcoran (28 inj); Brian Leamy (6) for Spillane (41); Niall Curran (0-1, 7) for Keogh (45); Danny Keogh (0-2, 1f, 7) for Cunneen (52); Dan Ryan (NR) for Timmons (54).

Ballyclough: Edmond O’Connor (8); Sean Walsh (7), Tadhg Healy (C), Colin Moynihan (6); Mark Buckley (7), Denis O’Neill (7), Adam Finnegan (0-2, 1f, 7); Shane Buckley (6), Kevin McDonnell (6); Sean O’Leary (0-1, 6), David Ludgate (0-2, 7), Aaron Finnegan (7); Thomas O’Neill (0-3f, 7), Damien Buckley (6), Jack Moynihan (0-3, 8).

Sub: Luke Moynihan (NR) McDonnell (55 mins).

Referee: Kieran Guina (Limerick).