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Mike O’Halloran watched St Brendan’s overcome the home side Ballyduff in the North Kerry Hurling Championship earlier today…
Ballyduff 1-17
St Brendan’s 1-26
Action from the game. Photo by Mike O’Halloran
Played in brilliant sunshine in the home of hurling, St Brendan’s were full value for their nine point win.
St Brendan’s looked the better from the very start, when after only thirty seconds, Cian Hussey had them in front playing into the Wall Ball end.
Daragh Goulding replied for Ballyduff before Padraig Boyle put Ballyduff ahead, Tom Moloney replied for St Brendan’s, Cian Hussey put the Ardfert boys back in front on six minutes.
The sides were level again a minute later when Eoin Ross scored a pointed free from down town.
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The next three points came from St Brendan’s — two from Cian Hussey and one from the evergreen John Egan. Padraig Boyle reduced the margin by one on seven minutes.
St Brendan’s scored five more unanswered points, four coming from Cian Hussey and one from Nathan Driscoll.
On 27 minutes,Ballyduff won a penalty and that was duly dispatched by Eoin Ross to leave the score at that stage Ballyduff 1-4 St Brendan’s 0-11.
Action from the game. Photo by Mike O’Halloran
Ballyduff were to add two more points before halftime one each from Padraig Boyle and Kevin Junior O’Connor, while St Brendan’s added four, one from Darren Dineen, Eric Reen, Daithi Griffin and Cian Hussey with a free to leave the halftime score Ballyduff 1-6 St Brendan’s 0-15.
Ballyduff had the wind in the second half and opened with two points from Padraig Boyle with Cian Hussey adding two for St Brendan’s.
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Michael Davis, operating at midfield, pointed for St Brendans before Nathan O’Driscoll tapped over two in a row.
With ten minutes gone in the second half Ballyduff trailed by seven points 1.10 to 0.20 after Junior had his second point.
Dylan Moriarty split the posts on twenty minutes, Cian hussey added two more points from frees before Padraig Boyle had a point for Ballyduff followed by a point from John Egan.
On 20 minutes Eoin Ross made it Ballyduff 1-13 St Brendan’s 0-23.
Action from the game. Photo by Mike O’Halloran
Padraig Boyle was to add two more points for Ballyduff with Kevin Junior O’Connor and Eoin Ross adding one each, but St Brendan’s split the posts three more times.
The goal that St Brendan’s sought fell in the end to Daithi Griffin, when he gave Michael Boyle no chance when he struck to his left to shake the net.
Ballyduff will point to the fact that they lined out without a number of their stars, Padraig O’Grady, Paud Costello, Aiden Boyle, PJ O’Gorman while Michael Boyle played between the sticks. Ballyduff were also guilty of making some mistakes that were punished by a goal a few points.
St Brendan’s looked really impressive and played a great brand of hurling and they seem to have a well motivated well drilled side for the season and their game versus Kilmoyley in the county championship looks even more mouth watering now.
Action from the game. Photo by Mike O’Halloran
That is if the county championship goes ahead. I was amazed at the amount of people I’ve met over the past few days that say the sport will be shut down until 2021.
Hopefully it won’t, but remember this; it’s up to us all make sure it does not shut down by being careful at the venues by social distancing, washing our hand covering our coughs and sneezes and wearing face coverings.
So if we go back to no sport, it’s not the government’s fault, it’s our own by not following the stay safe guidelines.
The Ballyduff team. Photo by Mike O’Halloran
Ballyduff club had done their best to keep people safe today with sanitising stations and an advisory on their facebook page to wear face coverings.
All the North Kerry Hurling Board and the clubs can do is issue the guidelines. If we wish to ignore them let on our heads be it.
Interesting that the Gardai made two visits to the venue, one prior to the game and one towards the end. Please lads and ladies, mind each other.
The St Brendan’s team. Photo by Mike O’Halloran
