Ballygiblin into first Junior A hurling final as Passage pay price for early red card

Ballygiblin 1-16 Passage 2-11 

BALLYGIBLIN will face last season's runners-up Dromtarriffe in the county JAHC final after holding out for victory over Passage.

Cork U20 Darragh Flynn was the top scorer for the Avondhu winners, through to their first final, though Passage played for three-quarters of the game with 14 men.

Ballygiblin hit the front with early points from Flynn and Joseph O'Sullivan, with Anthony Kidney responding and they were level through Harrington and Cian McCarthy at the water break before the costly red card.

Flynn scored again before good play by Sean O'Sullivan led to a very good Dean Barry point. The Seandún side then hit a long-range free, from Ronan Harrington, and McCarthy levelled, 0-5 each.

Ballygiblin had a goal disallowed, with Flynn converting another free, while Tom O'Neill combined with Ryan Carroll for another good Passage point.

Michael Walsh replied for the winners after good play by Dillon Sheehan and soon hit another.

A Niall McCarthy goal tied the game again before a Flynn free gave Ballygiblin a 0-10 to 1-6 advantage at half-time.

Johnny Byrnes equalised but both defences were very solid, meaning scores were hard-earned.

Walsh hit his third point and a foul on Kieran Duggan led to another Flynn free.

Cian McCarthy struck twice to level for the fourth and final time.

Flynn struck from play, thanks to hard work by Joseph O'Sullivan before Sean O'Sullivan landed a fine score in the 55th minute.

In the dying moments of normal time, Sean O'Sullivan assisted Aidan Donegan's goal: 1-15 to 1-10.

Eight minutes of injury time were played and a foul on Ronan Harrington led to a close-in free which Cian McCarthy buried.

Joseph O'Sullivan pointed from long range as Ballygiblin moved two clear and held out for a historic victory.

Scorers for Ballygiblin: D Flynn 0-8 (0-7 f), A Donegan 1-0, J O'Sullivan, M Walsh 0-3 each, D Barry, S O'Sullivan 0-1 each.

Passage: C McCarthy 1-4 (1-3 f,.0-1 65), N McCarthy 1-1, A Kidney, S Harrington, R Carroll, C Coughlan, J Byrnes, R Harrington (f) 0-1 each.

BALLYGIBLIN: C Noonan; B O'Gorman, F Herlihy (c), C O'Brien; M Lewis, M Keane, B Coffey; R Donegan, D Flynn; D Sheehan, J O'Sullivan, M Walsh; D Barry, S O'Sullivan, K Duggan.

Subs: A Donegan for D Barry, C O'Sullivan for M Walsh (inj) PASSAGE: A Long; C McCarthy, K O'Flynn, E Murphy; A Kidney, R Harrington (c), S Harrington; R Carroll, G Carroll; T O'Neill, N McCarthy, L Hanlon; C Coughlan, Cian McCarthy, S Howard.

Subs: J Byrnes for L Hanlon, J Kind for B Carroll (blood), B Carroll for J Kind.

Referee: Brian Sweeney (Erin's Own).