Hope added to season thanks to semi final win

Carryduff 1-7

BALLYVARLEY added new hope and purpose to their hurling season when they produced a much improved performance in Castlewellan to ease past an over-eager Carryduff side to reach the final of the Junior Hurling Championship.

The Reds were always favourites to advance to the their second championship final in four years and the indiscipline and over enthusiasm of Carryduff’s challenge proved their undoing as Paul O’Neill slotted over eight frees to give Ballyvarley a comfortable victory.

Within 40 seconds of the throw-in the pattern was set when Paul O’Neill was hauled down in midfield and he confidently slotted over the opening point from the resulting free.

Carryduff were quick to reply when corner forward, Michael Conway, skipped past his marker to tap over the equalising point. Carryduff looked menacing in this opening period but gradually the Ballyvarley defence settled and centre-half Colm O’Neill pushed forward to drive over the Reds first point from play.

Another Paul O’Neill free opened a two point gap but then came the Carryduff goal when a comedy of errors allowed Conway to nudge the ball over the line from close range. The Ballyvarley response was decisive and from then they dominated the game.

Four more frees from O’Neill and a beautifully worked point from play by the jinking James McDermott gave the Reds a healthy four point lead at the interval.

Two Owen Conway points in the first five minutes of the second half reminded Ballyvarley that Carryduff were very much still in this contest but once more the Reds raised their game and dominated the outfield possession but scores were hard to come by against a hard-working Carryduff defence.

Sean Kennedy was in inspiring form at the back and, with Cathal McGrath doing the prompting up front, James McDermott finally broke the deadlock with another fine individual point and O’Neill converted two more frees before the Reds scored a rather fortuitous goal. A long free from O’Neill went with pace into the area where Niall Savage added to it with an overhead strike and Eunan McConville unsighted the keeper with a final swing and the ball was in the net.

The goal eased the Reds into an eight point lead and it all looked done and dusted at that stage, but somehow the Reds frittered away their advantage and indulged in a spate of over-passing that allowed their opponents back into the game.

Four Carryduff points brought them to within striking distance and but for some solid defending from James McGrath they might well have snatched another goal to really put the game back in the melting pot.

However, the Reds finally recovered from their bout of complacency and James McDermott and Paul O’Neill both burst through at the other end to fire over two points from play to put the issue beyond Carryduff’s reach.

This was a good all-round performance from Ballyvarley and they now step up their preparations for the Down Championship Final on 12th September against old rivals Clonduff.

Team: Cathal O’Neill; Patrick Mackin, James McGrath, John O’Neill; Niall Higgins, Colm O’Neill (0-1), Sean Kennedy; Paul O’Neill (0-9), Ciaran Connolly; Conor McClorey, Kieran Maguire, Eunan McConville; Jamie Murray, Cathal McGrath, James McDermott (0-3). Subs: Niall Savage (1-0), Colin O’Neill, James McConville, Tony Hegarty, Stephen Daly, Peter McConville, Leigh McConville, Michael McKay, Martin Connolly.