Russell Rovers power into All-Ireland JHC final after big win over Ballinascreen
Russell Rovers' Kieran Walsh on the move against Ballinascreen. Picture: Bob Morrison
Russell Rovers have booked their spot in the All-Ireland JHC club final after a stylish victory over Ballinascreen at The Downs GAA ground in Westmeath on Saturday afternoon.
The Imokilly side were full value for this win over their opposition from Derry as they head back to Croke Park for the first time since losing the All-Ireland decider at this grade in January 2020. The winners led from pillar to post, helped by an early sending-off for their opposition.
There weren't many faults with this showing in what was a professional display with every Russell Rovers player putting their shoulder to the wheel. They did fail to score in the third quarter though, but the game was more or less wrapped up by that stage.
They will now face Easkey of Sligo or St Lachtain’s of Kilkenny in the final on Sunday, January 12 at GAA HQ.
The early stages couldn’t have gone any better for Dave Dorgan’s side as Luke Duggan-Murray pointed after 13 seconds and their efforts were boosted further when Ballinascreen lost goalkeeper Aodhán McCallion to a straight red card after three minutes following an off the ball incident with Brian Hartnett.
It was all Russell Rovers with Duggan-Murray adding another effort and a beauty of a point from Ciarán Sheehan, over the shoulder from the former Éire Óg star. Dan Ruddy bisected the posts before the Ulster champions got their first score after 11 minutes when wing-back Cormac Gough curled over a sideline cut.
That was as good as it would get for them as Russell Rovers simply had too much. The Imokilly outfit hit 1-2 without reply with the brilliant Duggan-Murray scoring a wonderful goal after he was allowed run and run after picking up the ball on the half-way line, 1-6 to 0-1 after 14 minutes of action.
Russell Rovers hit four of the next five points to lead 1-10 to 0-2 with 10 minutes to the break. Hartnett’s score the pick of those.
The sides exchanged points before Josh Beausang raised another white flag, which was a free, before the latter should have scored his side’s second goal with four minutes to the break but Ballinascreen sub goalkeeper Deirig McDaid somehow made an incredible reflex stop.
Ruddy and Harnett extended Russell Rovers advantage before the Cork champions conceded a scruffy goal in first-half added time when Eoin McCallion scored a goal from close range, 1-14 to 1-3.
James Kennefick, who is abroad but came home for this one, slotted over a superb long range point as Russell Rovers led 1-15 to 1-3 at half-time.
Russell Rovers continued from where they left off with a point inside the first 10 seconds of the new half through Hartnett following a clever pass by Sheehan.
Ballinascreen did tack on a pair of frees from Eamon Conway, an Eoin McCallion effort and a Paul Cleary free as the game got scrappy. Dorgan’s side still held a commanding 1-16 to 1-7 lead with 15 minutes remaining.
Russell Rovers did take their foot off the pedal given the healthy advantage, but they were being outfought in this second half so far. They did get their first score of the new half when Duggan-Murray pointed after 50 minutes, quickly followed by a Beausang goal from a free. Clever thinking from close range, 2-17 to 1-7 after 52 minutes.
Rovers finished with a swagger, hitting five of the last seven points. Next stop Croker.
J Beausang 1-5 (1-3 f), L Duggan-Murray 1-3, B Hartnett 0-5 (0-2 f), D Ruddy 0-3, J Kennefick, P Lane, F Murray, R Cummins, M O’Dwyer, C Sheehan 0-1 each.
E Conway 0-6 (0-5 f), E McCallion 1-1, C Gough (sideline), P Cleary (f) 0-1 each.
R Walsh; K O’Brien, P Lane, J Kennefick; F Murray, E O’Sullivan, D Moynihan; K Walsh, R Cummins; B Hartnett, K Moynihan, D Ruddy; L Duggan-Murray, C Sheehan (c), J Beausang.
S Walsh for K O’Brien (35), M O’Dwyer for C Sheehan (38), J McGrath for K Moynihan (46), C Aherne for J Beausang, S O’Neill for L Duggan-Murray (both 55).
A McCallion; J Conway, J Lee-McGlade, A McBride; C Gough, P McGlade, C Doyle (c); A Kelly, R Scullion; E McCallion, P Cleary, E Conway; N Rafferty, M Bradley, R McSorley.
D McDaid for R McSorley (4), R McWilliams for A Kelly (32, inj), R McSorley for J Conway (41), B Kealey for M Bradley (59), J McDaid for P Cleary (60).
Caymon Flynn (Westmeath).
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