Mike O’Halloran was at the Garveys Supervalu Kerry SHC clash in Abbeydorney last night…
Lixnaw 2-17
Causeway 0-16
AGAIN, the welcome for hurling fans to Abbeydorney on Friday evening was wholesome, with some tweaks to the previous welcome to further improve the excellent experience of last week.
The game was played in a pitch that was prepared to perfection by ‘the Turkish Barber’ Willam O’Leary with not a blade of grass out place and every white line straight.
Continued below…
I heard a player say on the way on to the pitch say “well if we can’t play here we can’t play anywhere”.
So to the action. Lixnaw proved too strong for Causeway in the Garveys Supervalu Kerry Senior Hurling Championship, winning on a scoreline of 2-17 to 0-16.
It was Causeway who had the brighter opening when Muiris Delaney, Paul McGrath and Thomas Casey put them three points to one in front after six minutes.
After fifteen minutes they were 0-5 to 0-2 up with points from Eamonn Fitzgerald and Muiris Delaney, Lixnaw had their points from Michael Conway and Colin Sheehy.
Shane Conway, Enda Galvin and John Griffin exchanged points with John Fitzgerald, Colum Harty and Paul McGrath scoring to make the score on 18 minutes, Lixnaw 0-5 Causeway 0-8 points.
Then came the game changer. Enda Galvin, who was having a massive influence on the game, found James Flaherty with a peach of a pass. Flaherty headed for goal and was upended in the box. Penalty.
Mike Conway burst the net with the penalty to make it 1-5 to 0-8 with twenty minutes gone in the first half.
Anthony Fealy put Causeway back in front before Enda Galvin found Flaherty and James tapped one over. Colum Harty put Causeway back in front before the “ageless wonder” Enda Galvin levelled on the stroke of halftime.
Lixnaw 1-7 Causeway 0-10.
With two minutes gone in the second half, Colin Sheehy was fouled. Mike Conway stepped up and split the posts and Lixnaw were in front for the first time.
Three minutes later, Conway latched on to a Brendan Brosnan free and goaled, 2-8 to 0-10 points with five minutes gone in the second half.
Causeway had the next three points from Colum Harty, Paul McGrath and a beautiful side line cut from Muiris Delaney before Michael and Shane Conway both pointed for Lixnaw.
Thomas Casey had a long range point for Causeway followed by a pointed free from McGrath. Over the next 16 minutes, Lixnaw added seven more points to one from the stick of Paul McGrath for Causeway.
The Lixnaw points came from Mike Conway who got four, two from Shane Conway and Colin Sheehy’s one.
A feature of this game is that the Conway brothers outscored Causeway on their own with Mike scoring 2-8 points and Shane scoring 0-4.
Lixnaw were too strong and physical at the back for Causeway and up front their forwards were clinical. The Conways, young Colin Sheehy and James Flaherty looked dangerous every time they got on the ball.
Enda Galvin influenced matters with a hand in a few scores as well as pointing himself.
Causeway lost their way once Lixnaw went ahead and did not seem to have a leader on the field to manage their way out of the bother Lixnaw were causing them, on the other hand as soon as Lixnaw drew level they drove on, got tighter at the back and opened up Causeway at their ease.
Causeway have a second chance and will look to put this evening behind them and build from here.
Lixnaw look like champions.
Lixnaw: Martin Stackpoole, Ger Stackpoole, Maurice Corridon, Pat Corridon, Brendan Brosnan, Darragh Shanahan, Stepehen Power, John Griffin, Michael Stackpoole, Shane Conway, Enda Galvin, (Ray Galvin) Ricky Heffernan, (John Buckley) James Flaherty, Michael Conway, Colin Sheehy.
Causeway: Stephen Murphy, Brendan Carroll (Jason Leahy) Mattie Ryan, Bryan Murphy, Eamonn Fitzgerald, Jason Digging,
Keith Carmody, Tommie Barrett John Fitzgerald (John Cantillon) Anthony Fealy (Cyril Dineen) Darren Leahy, Thomas Casey (captain) Paul McGrath, Colum Harty.
