SAHC: Ballyhea's Gavin Morrissey strikes with last puck to deny Killeagh

Ballyhea 2-16 Killeagh 4-9  

A goal in the final second of injury time from Gavin Morrissey was the difference as Ballyhea kept their Co-Op Superstores Senior A Hurling Championship hopes alive at Rathcormac.

It didn’t matter that Colm Leahy hit a hat-trick and a seven-point deficit had been turned around by Killeagh, it all came down to a flick of the sliotar.

That decided it, a game that saw Ballyhea race into a 0-9 to 0-2 lead. John Morrissey scored 0-5 and Pa O’Callaghan raised two white flags before he had to go off. Killeagh struggled in attack, with their best efforts being points from play by Ciaran Leahy and Andrew Leahy.

Then Colm Leahy bundled through and hit the back of the net and it was 0-9 to 1-2 and game on. When David Buckley was brought down, Ryan McCarthy converted the penalty.

That made it 0-11 to 2-2 at half-time and Killeagh picked up where they left off by outscoring Ballyhea 0-6 to 0-3 in the third quarter.

David Buckley raised the equalising white flag and it was 2-8 to 0-14 and Ballyhea edged back in front through a Mikey Browne penalty.

Colm Leahy ensured parity between the two sides by squeezing the ball in from the tightest of angles: 3-8 to 1-14.

Killeagh grabbed a third goal, for Leahy's hat-trick, and it looked like that would be enough to snatch the victory.

That set up a grandstand finish in a pulsating contest.

It came down to Gavin Morrissey, and the half-forward managing to break through the wall of Killeagh jerseys in the last play and restore the lead to the delight of the Ballyhea faithful.

Scorers for Ballyhea: J Morrissey 0-6 (0-1 f), J Hickey 0-4 (0-2 f, 0-1 65), G Morrissey 1-0, M Browne 1-0 pen, P O’Callaghan 0-3 (0-1 f), D Copps 0-2, E O’Leary 0-1.

Killeagh: Colm Leahy 3-0, R McCarthy 1-0 pen, D Buckley, R Long 0-2 each, Ciaran Leahy, S Walsh, E Lane, D Walsh, A Leahy 0-1 each.

BALLYHEA: M Browne; A Barrett, J Hennessy, W Carroll, M Morrissey, J Copps, F O’Sullivan, J Morrissey, M O’Sullivan, L Crowley, G Morrissey, K Morrissey, E O’Leary, P O’Callaghan, D Copps.

Subs: J Hickey for O’Callaghan (22 inj); M Mortell for D Copps (h-t), D Curtin for J Copps (50).

KILLEAGH: C Walsh; B Delaney, P O’Brien, D Walsh, R Sinclair, S Long, A Walsh, C Leahy, R McCarthy, A Leahy, R Long, S Walsh, D Buckley, D McCarthy, E Lane.

Subs: C Leahy for D McCarthy (22); S Smiddy for D McCarthy (50).

Referee: Brian Coniry (Crosshaven)