AIB Munster GAA Hurling Intermediate Club Championship Semi-Final – Ballyduff (Kerry) 2-13 Ballybrown (Limerick) 0-14

Ballyduff book final spot again

By Eamonn Ryan for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Ballyduff (Kerry) 2-13 Ballybrown (Limerick) 0-14 (Aet)

Kerry senior hurling champions Ballyduff are back in the Munster Club IHC final for a second successive year after an extra-time thriller in Kilmallock on Saturday. Twelve months ago they lost out to Limerick’s Effin in the provincial decider and now Silvermines of Tipperary stand in their way. A late goal from Ballyduff’s Gary O’Brien forced extra-time but PJ O’Grady’s men were dominant thereafter with Padraig Boyle and reliable free-taker Bobby O’Sullivan getting the vital scores. O’Sullivan finished with 1-9 and his first half goal had the sides all square (0-7 to 1-4) at the interval.

At the start of the second half the Limerick outfit raced into a 0-11 to 1-4 lead with Lee Doolin, Richie Kenny and free-taker O’Connor among the scores. Two Bobby O’Sullivan frees settled the Kerry challenge but Shane Kenny and O’Connor pointed to put Ballybrown 0-13 to 1-6 clear with seven minutes to play. Then came the second Ballyduff goal and what a score it was with O’Brien finishing to the net after a following move that saw Aidan Boyle supply the final pass. It was then left to O’Sullivan to force extra-time with an injury-time free, 0-13 to 2-7.

Ballyduff certainly had the momentum and two O’Sullivan frees midway through the first period of extra time seized the initiative. Then came a flurry of points in injury-time at the end of the 10-minute period with Padraig Boyle (two) and O’Sullivan (free) increasing the lead to five points, 2-12 to 0-13. There was to be no way back and Ballybrown’s only score of extra-time came from sub Andrew Cliffe in the opening minute of the second period of extra-time. Then in the closing minutes Ballyduff goalkeeper PJ O’Gorman cleared off his line and the deal was done.

Scorers for Ballyduff: B O’Sullivan 1-9 (8fs, 1 65), G O’Brien 1-0, P Boyle 0-2, M Boyle, PJ Connolly 0-1 each.

Scorers for Ballybrown: A O’Connor 0-6 (5fs), L Doolin 0-2, S Foster, B Griffin, M Kiely, R Kenny, S Kenny, A Cliffe, 0-1 each.

BALLYDUFF: PJ O’Gorman; D O’Grady, L Boyle, J Bowler; J Bunyan, P O’Grady, D Goulding; B O’Grady, P Costello; M Boyle, G O’Brien, PJ Connelly; P Boyle, A Boyle, B O’Sullivan.

Subs: A O’Connor for Goulding (36), T O’Rourke for Connolly (36), M O’Connor for Costello (57), PJ Connolly for B O’Grady (77), P Costello for L Boyle (81).

BALLYBROWN: D Lyons, R Burke, J Kennedy, S O’Reilly; I Burke, R Kenny, D Kenny; S Foster, J Hall; K Loftus, B Griffin, S Kenny; M Kiely, A O’Connor, L Doolin.

Subs: A Roberts for I Burke (24), D Hall for Kiely (39), P Hartigan for Loftus (51), P McCarthy for Doolin (58), A Cliffe for Foster (70), D Hartnett for R Burke (77).

Referee: P Casey (Waterford)

Limerick GAA – Ballybrown bow out of Munster

Report from the Limerick Leader newspaper

LIMERICK intermediate hurling champions Ballybrown bowed out of the Munster club IHC when beaten 2-13 to 0-14 after extra-time by Kerry senior champions Ballyduff. Last year Limerick’s Effin beat Ballyduff in the Munster final but this time round the Kerry men were too strong for Ballybrown. But it was a game that the Clarina men should have won in normal time but plenty chances to secure a final place against Silvermines.

The sides were level 0-7 to 1-4 at half time with Bobby O’Sullivan getting the Ballyduff goal. Then on the change of ends, Ballybrown looked to be primed for victory with Lee Doolin, Richie Kenny and Alan O’Connor opening a 0-11 to 1-4 lead. But they failed to build on that advantage and were to score just two points in the final 20-minutes.

Ballyduff got their second crucial goal four minutes from the end to snatch a 2-7 to 0-13 draw. In extra-time there was always only one winner. By the end of the first period Ballyduff were 2-12 to 0-13 clear. Sub Andrew Cliffe got the only score for Ballybrown in extra-time.

SCORES: Ballybrown: A O’Connor 0-6 (5frees), L Doolin 0-2, S Foster, B Griffin, M Kiely, R Kenny, S Kenny, A Cliffe, 0-1 each. Ballyduff: B O’Sullivan 1-9 (0-8frees, ‘65), G O’Brien 1-0, P Boyle 0-2, M Boyle, PJ Connolly 0-1 each.

BALLYBROWN – David Lyons, Roddy Burke, James Kennedy, Stevie O’Reilly; Ian Burke, Richie Kenny, Des Kenny; Stephen Foster, James Hall; Kyle Loftus, Alan O’Connor, Shane Kenny; Mikey Kiely, Bryan Griffin, Lee Doolin. Subs: Adrian Roberts for Ian Burke, inj (24mins), David Hall for Mikey Kiely (39mins), Pat Hartigan for Kyle Loftus (51mins), Pat McCarthy for Lee Doolin (58), Andrew Cliffe for Stephen Foster (h-t, e-t), David Hartnett for Roddy Burke, inj (17mins, e-t).

BALLYDUFF – PJ O’Gorman; David O’Grady, Liam Boyle, Jason Bowler; Joe Bunyan, Padraig O’Grady, David Goulding; Barry O’Grady, Paud Costello; Mickey Boyle, Gary O’Brien, Pat Joe Connolly; Padraig Boyle, Aidan Boyle, Bobby O’Sullivan. Subs: Ally O’Connor for David Goulding (36mins), Thomas O’Rourke for Pat Joe Connolly (36mins), Martin O’Connor for Paud Costello (57mins), Pat Joe Connolly for Barry O’Grady (7mins, e-t), Paud Costello for Liam Boyle 21mins, e-t).

REFERE – Pat Casey (Waterford)

For the Record

Munster GAA HURLING Club Intermediate Championship 2012

Quarter-Finals

Sunday October 28^th

@ Sixmilebridge                               Silvermines (Tipperary) 1-15 Ruan (Clare) 0-6

Monday October 29^th

@ Pairc Ui Rinn        Ballinhassig (Cork) 1-17 Ballybrown (Limerick) 0-20 (AET)

Quarter-Final Replay

Saturday November 3^rd

@ Kilmallock             Ballybrown (Limerick) 3-10 Ballinhassig (Cork) 2-7

Semi-Finals (Extra time)
Sunday November 4th

@ Dolla                                              Silvermines (Tipperary) 0-13 An Rinn (Waterford) 0-11

Saturday November 10th (Replay date – Saturday November 17th)

@ Kilmallock Ballyduff (Kerry) v  Ballybrown (Limerick) 2:00pm

Odds and Ends

Limerick clubs have lost just 1 of their last 9 matches in the Munster Club Intermediate Hurling Championship, a 0-15 to 0-9 defeat for Hospital-Herbertstown against Ballymartyle in the 2010 Munster Semi-Final.

Ballyduff are the only Kerry club to have won a game in the Munster Club Intermediate Hurling Championship, securing 2 wins on their way to the 2011 Munster Final.

Waterford clubs have taken part in this competition on 7 previous occasions. Only Ballyduff Upper (2005 Waterford champions) have won a game in the Munster Club Intermediate Championship.

Despite the Tipperary Intermediate Hurling Champions going from 2005 to 2009 without winning a match in the Munster Club Intermediate Hurling Championship, Tipperary clubs have a 50% record in this competition dating back to its inception in 2003.

Since the competition began in 2003, Cork clubs have won 4 of the 9 Munster titles on offer.

Cork have only lost their opening match in this competition on 3 occasions, in 2004, 2007 and 2011.

In the 3 seasons, 2006 to 2008 in this competition, the only 2 Counties who recorded victories were Cork and Clare. Limerick, Waterford, Kerry and Tipperary proceeded to lose 8 matches between them in this period.

Munster GAA Club HURLING Intermediate Championship Roll Of Honour

Cork (4) – 2003, 2005, 2008, 2010

Clare (2) – 2006, 2007

Limerick (2) – 2009, 2011

Tipperary (1) – 2004

Munster GAA Club HURLING Intermediate Championship
List of Winning Teams

Visit the Munster GAA web site History section to view the complete list of each winning team since the competition began 1888 – https://munster.gaa.ie/history/ihclub_teams/

All Ireland GAA Club HURLING Intermediate Championship

In the Club Intermediate Hurling All Ireland Roll of Honour, Cork have secured 2 titles courtesy of Blarney (2009) and Ballymartyle (2011) while Kildangan (Tipperary) won the 2004 All-Ireland title.