Erin’s Own 2-15
Graigue Ballycallan 2-15
In a game that swung for and against each side throughout, both Graigue Ballycallan and Erin’s Own will be satisfied with avoiding a second consecutive defeat in Group B of the St. Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling League.
It was a close game from start to finish on Saturday afternoon with both sets of players and management desperate to avoid being plunged into a relegation battle after only two rounds of fixtures.
Erin’s Own right half forward Stephen Daly opened the scoring with a fine effort less than a minute in and it was Graigue Ballycallan’s right half back Aaron Brennan that responded immediately for Eugen Cloonan’s side.
Seán Ryan and Jack Buggy traded frees before there was a cluster of impressive points from play. Corner forwards Buggy and Martin Boran along with captain Eoin Brennan all opened their account from play while the ever-consistent Tom Dunphy struck back for Graigue Ballycallan as Erin’s Own took a 0-06 to 0-03 lead into the first half water break.
Ballycallan used that brief rest period to stunt Erin’s Own’s momentum as Seán Ryan added a free and a score from play in between the game’s first goal that came from Graigue Ballycallan corner forward Conor Murphy.
However, Erin’s Own replied almost immediately with a goal of their own. Midfielder Conor Fogarty added to his goal from last weekend in his side’s defeat to Dicksboro as he found the back of the net again to move Erin’s Own into a narrow 1-point lead with 8 minutes remaining in an exhilarating first half, 1-06 to 1-05.
Seán Ryan and Conor Murphy were proving too difficult for the Comer full back line to deal with as they edged Ballycallan ahead with a point each but there was to be one more twist in the first period as a John Dowd goal left the scoreboard reading Erin’s Own 2-06 to 1-07 Graigue Ballycallan at the interval.
Jack Buggy, a standout player across the league so far for Erin’s Own, got the first point of the first half with a score from play before the unusually quiet Billy Ryan scored his first and only point of the afternoon with a superb sideline ball that split the posts.
That was the first of five unanswered points from Ballycallan as they moved into a 1-12 to 2-07 lead thanks to points from Jesse Roberts, Tom Dunphy, Conor Murphy and a Ryan free. Substitute Seán Buggy made an immediate impact upon his introduction with two points that levelled the game as it entered its final quarter, Graigue Ballycallan 1-12 to Erin’s Own 2-09.
Ballycallan looked set to get their first win of the season when Seán Ryan added a goal to his tally of points. 20-year-old Buggy stood up when needed most, however, as he notched on three points from placed balls to leave the game on a knife-edge as it entered its closing stages, 2-12 to 2-12.
Tom Dunphy and Shane Feehan exchanged points before another Buggy score from play looked like it would be enough for Martin Fogarty’s side. Despite Buggy’s outstanding performance, two further points from Philly Cahill and Seán Ryan seemed to finish off Erin’s Own but man of the match Buggy had enough time to salvage a point for his side with a late free.
Erin’s Own will be eying their first victory next weekend against Mullinavat while Graigue Ballycallan have a clash with Clara to look forward to.
