Holders Causeway are back in the Garvey’s SuperValu County Senior Hurling Championship Final.
The last four has seen them overcome Ballyduff 1-19 to 0-11.
First Half
Defending Champions Causeway were determined to improve on their performance in the opening round and Billy Lyons at full forward confirmed that intent with a point after 2 minutes of play.
In their first attack, Ballyduff’s Padraig Boyle won a free after the Referee had played advantage and the Kerry player made no mistake in levelling things after 4 minutes.
Ballyduff won good possession in the forward line when Kevin Goulding’s shot hit the post. The Referee called things back after another advantage and again, Padraig Boyle was faultless in his conversion attempt.
Goulding waited another 8 minutes before putting the next score on the board but it was worth waiting for with a great point for Ballyduff.
The champions struck back immediately through their full-forward, Billy Lyons only for Michael Boyle to reopen a 2 point lead for Ballyduff at the water break.
The water proved to be magical for the defending champions because from the restart, Causeway pressed hard and corner forward Gavin Dooley found the net to put them 1-02 to 0-04 ahead and then Billy Lyons third and fourth points from frees extended that lead out 1-04 to 0-04.
The goal put a temporary halt to Ballyduff’s momentum as Causeway began to dominate and Dylan Moriarty’s point for Ballyduff was welcome tonic approaching half-time.
Colm Harty’s great point for Causeway put 3 between the sides again.
Three minutes of stoppage time were played at the end of the first half Tomás Casey added to Causeway’s tally as things started to come easy to the champions and they completed the scoring with another point.
Causeway 1-07 Ballyduff 0-05.
Second half
Ballyduff started the second half in the same manner that they started the first and it was Eoin Ross from Centre Half Forward who opened the scoring of the second 30 minutes.
That point was cancelled out again by Billy Lyons keeping five between them.
Ballyduff had a great chance for a goal when bearing down on the Causeway net but the champions’ defence held firm while conceding the free which was converted by Padraig Boyle.
Causeway 1-08 Ballyduff 0-7.
That didn’t phase Causeway who reopened a five-point lead again and then that because six with another free from Billy Lyons.
Ballyduff were not giving up and it took a great save from Tadhg Flynn in the Causeway goal to keep their opponents at bay and the danger was cleared out the field.
Causeway were totally in charge and fired-up to return to the final to defend their title against Kilmoyley.
Ballyduff were tested by an up and coming Ballyheigue side in the opening round but the more experienced and better Causeway team were now scoring from the half-way line when a Billy Lyons free there made it 1-12 to 0-07.
Colm Harty added to that to put 9 between them a couple of minutes shy of the water break.
Kevin Goulding went on a probe through the Causeway defence in the hope of finding a way through to the scoreboard but he was blocked and Causeway cleared the danger once again.
Matters were made worse for Ballyduff when Padraig Boyle pulled up with an injury while his side were attacking. The play switched back towards the Ballyduff goal and Causeway’s Billy Lyons split the posts again with another free.
At the second half water break, it was Causeway 1-14 Ballyduff 0-07
Ballyduff lost their talisman Padraig Boyle through injury for the final quarter of the game. Their second point of the half came from a Dylan Moriarty free but overall, the fight was beaten out of Ballyduff by an imperious Causeway with less than 10 minutes remaining.
Colm Harty’s latest score for Causeway came in the 53rd minute of the game.
Ballyduff held onto Causeway’s coat tails with another pointed free from Dylan Moriarty making it Causeway 1-15 Ballyduff 0-09 – double-scores.
Feeling a bit left out of proceedings, Tadhg Flynn put his own name on the scoresheet as the Causeway goalkeeper added another point for the champions.
Three more were tagged on by the forward players making it Causeway 1-19 Ballyduff 0-09 heading into an additional three minutes at the end of the 60.
A very one-sided game ended with a consolation point from Michael Boyle but that was that.
Full time Causeway 1-19 Ballyduff 0-11
