Ballymartle finish well to squeeze out Kinsale in Carrigdhoun Junior A Hurling Championship

Ballymartle 1-20 Kinsale 2-16 

Ballymartle produced a determined performance as they defeated Kinsale by the narrowest of margins in the Ross Oil Junior A Hurling Championship at Ballinhassig on Sunday.

In what was an outstanding game of hurling, Ballymartle’s ability to score from play proved the difference, while four points from Eoghan O’Leary, including one from play and three long-range frees, proved crucial.

Niall Crowley opened the Ballymartle account, while a free from John O’Brien was Kinsale’s first registered score.

The sides were level after five minutes as O’Brien and Ken O’Callaghan had a point apiece.

With Ballymartle hitting the next four consecutive scores, including a superb score from Donnacha Desmond, they had secured a four-point cushion.

A brilliant goal on 10 minutes from the industrious Noah Ryan had one between the sides, before O’Callaghan cut a sideline over the bar to increase the margin by two.

As the sides traded points, on 18 minutes, Murphy floated a speculative pass across the square for Cillian Fitzpatrick to bat to the net and give his side a one-point advantage.

However, with both sides unable to shake off their opponents, a Jack Dwyer goal just before the break gave Ballymartle a 1-12 to 2-7 advantage.

The second half had Kinsale coming more into the contest and outscoring Ballymartle by seven points to two, including two from Ryan and a score apiece from second-half substitutes Gearoid Finn and Ollie Buckley, with the tallies at 2-14 to 1-14 in favour of the seasiders.

However, the Riverstick outfit were not going away and six Ballymartle points, including four long-range scores from Eoghan O’Leary, proved crucial.

Kinsale did have a chance to rescue the contest, but Brian Coughlan’s effort drifted over the bar.

Scorers for Ballymartle: M Higgins 0-5 (0-4 f), D Desmond 0-4, E O’Leary 0-4 (0-3 f), J Dwyer 1-1, K O’Callaghan 0-3 (0-1 sl), N Crowley, O Whyte, P Cronin 0-1 each.

Kinsale: N Ryan 1-2, J O'Brien 0-5 f, C Fitzpatrick 1-1, B O’Neill, O Buckley, B Coughlan 0-2 each, M Murphy, G Finn 0-1 each.

BALLYMARTLE: O. Harte; D. Murphy, C. Barry, S. Looney; A. Harte, E. O'Leary, E. Cummins; P. Cronin, O. Whyte; K. O'Callaghan, D. Desmond, L. Keohane Kiely; M. Higgins, J. Dwyer, N. Crowley.

Subs: C Kelleher for M Higgins (46), K McCarthy for L Keohane Kiely (52).

KINSALE: T. Broderick; N. McCarthy, K. O'Callaghan, D. O'Leary; J. Crowley, J. Murphy, B. Coughlan; C. Fitzpatrick, B. O'Neill; N. Ryan, T. O'Callaghan, J. O'Brien; D. Forde, C. Fitzpatrick, M. Murphy.

Subs: C O’Leary for J Crowley (37), G Finn for D Forde and O Buckley for T O’Callaghan (both 42).

Referee: Brendan Barrett, Shamrocks.