AIB Munster Junior Club Hurling Championship Semi-Final – Ballyduff Lower (Waterford) 0-14 Ballybacon-Grange (Tipperary) 0-6

Ballyduff Lower (Waterford) defeated Ballybacon-Grange (Tipperary) by 0-14 to 0-6 in the AIB Munster Junior Club Hurling Championship Semi-Final on Saturday November 12th at Walsh Park Waterford.

Busy Ballyduff Lower keep their run going

By Dermot Keyes for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Ballyduff Lower (Waterford) 0-14 Ballybacon-Grange (Tipperary) 0-6: Ballyduff Lower, in action for the third time in a week given their ongoing Waterford JFC campaign, powered into the provincial decider following a comfortable win over Ballybacon-Grange at Walsh Park on Saturday.

Brian Power’s reliability from the dead ball, coupled with four points from play by former inter-county man Jack Kennedy, propelled the Déise men to victory against a Ballybacon outfit who landed just three points from play, and only one during the second-half.

On a day when neither side carried a potent goal threat, Ballyduff led 0-6 to 0-5 at the break, having responded well to Ballybacon’s positive opening, after the Tipp men led by two points inside the opening three minutes.

However, as the match wore on, Ballybacon’s inability to make good on decent territory was punished by Ballyduff’s greater accuracy, as Power and Kennedy ensured their campaign will endure into a Munster Final appearance on December 4th.

Scorers for Ballyduff Lower: Brian Power (0-7f), J Kennedy (0-4), D Reade (0-1), C Lyons (0-1), D Cheasty (0-1).

Scorers for Ballybacon-Grange: B Cummins (0-2; 0-1f, 0-1 65), A Lonergan (0-1f), G Cronin (0-1), D O’Regan (0-1), T Kirwan (0-1).

BALLYDUFF LOWER: M Atkins; M De Paor, J O’Leary, M Millea; Bryan Power, C Lyons, P Kennedy; C Power, Brian Power; C Dunphy, J Kennedy, J Lyons; D Reade, D Cheasty, E Cummins
Subs: R Coffey-O’Shea for E Cummins (49); A Carroll for C Dunphy (59).

BALLYBACON-GRANGE: B Cummins; P Walsh, E Walsh, C Carrigan; A Savage, B Dillon, S Nagle; C O’Gorman, B Hewitt; G Cronin, M O’Sullivan, P Murphy; T Kirwan, A Lonergan, D O’Regan
Subs: M Barlow for T Kirwan and D Boyle for E Walsh (both HT); S Maher for M O’Sullivan (57); B Lonergan for A Lonergan (54); M Ryan for G Cronin (60+).

Referee: J Murphy (Limerick)