Tracton set up Premier Junior Hurling final with Ballygibblin

Tracton 1-25 Kilbrittain 0-27 (aet) 

RONAN Walsh scored 1-12 as Tracton outlasted Kilbrittain to win an epic Co-Op Superstores Cork PJHC county semi-final in Ballinspittle.

What a game of hurling.

Both sides left everything they had out on the pitch before Tracton edged an instant classic 1-27 to 0-25 after extra-time.

The teams were level on 15 occasions in a semi-final where the outcome remained delicately balanced until late in the second period of extra-time.

It was 0-25 to 0-23 in Kilbrittain’s favour when, a long ball landed near the West Cork club’s square. Ronan Walsh reacted quickest to the breaking ball, gathered the rebound and arrowed an unstoppable shot into the net.

Credit to Kilbrittain, who fought back, as they had done all afternoon, but failed to conjure up another late score before going down by a point.

Kilbrittain were crestfallen at the final whistle but contributed much to a cracking semi-final. A word too for the West Cork side’s top scorer Mark Hickey who converted twelve frees but still ended up on the losing side.

The first half was a real end-to-end affair and concluded 0-10 apiece. Mark Hickey and Tracton’s Ronan Walsh continued to exchange frees into the second period and it was 0-18 apiece close to the final whistle.

Walsh edged his side back in front but a gutsy injury-time Ross Cashman free sent a marvellous game to extra-time.

Walsh’s goal midway through the second period of additional time made 1-23 to 0-25. Kilbrittain toiled hard in the closing moments but were unable to draw level for a 16th time.

Next up for Tracton is a PJHC county final against a Ballygiblin team that also needed extra-time in their semi-final win over Russell Rovers.

If this year’s final is half as good as the semi-finals then we are in for a treat.

Scorers for Tracton: R Walsh 1-12 (0-12 f), D O’Flaherty 0-4, J Good 0-3, M O’Sullivan 0-2, D Harrington, D Byrne, M Byrne and K Webb 0-1 each.

Kilbrittain: M Hickey 0-12 f, R Cashman 0-4 f, C Sheehan and S Shorten 0-2 each, M Sexton, B Butler, T Harrington, P Wall and C Moloney 0-1 each.

TRACTON: K Lyons; D Good, T McGuiness (joint-captain), R Sinclair; K Webb, G Webb, C McGuinness; J Good, D O’Flaherty; D Byrne, M O’Sullivan (joint-captain), K Kingston; D Harrington, P O’Riordan, R Walsh.

Subs: C Quinn for J Kingston (ht), M Byrne for C Quinn (et).

KILBRITTAIN: A Holland; I Burke, T Sheehan, J Hurley; R Cashman, M Sexton (captain), C Ustinowski; B Butler, N O’Donovan; M Hickey, C Sheehan, T Harrington; P Wall, S Sexton, S Shorten.

Subs: D Harrington for S Shorten (38), C Moloney for B Butler (38), C Hogan for C Ustinowski (46), C Ustinowski for M Sexton (et), S Crowley for Harrington (et), Harrington for M Hickey (et).

Referee: Brian Sweeney (Erin’s Own).