Oulart The Ballagh 0-16 Clonkill 0-8
Cusack Park Mullingar.
Oulart The Ballagh advanced to their 5th Leinster senior hurling final in six years with victory on Sunday in Cusack Park Mullingar.
They had made the long trip to the midlands to face Westmeath champions Clonkill who had put 4 gaols past St Mullins of Carlow in the quarter final.
This gift for scoring goals had stood the host club in good stead during their 2015 championship run and Oulart needed to be vigilant if they were to advance to the final. Kevin Nimmo and Tomas Dunne had replaced Michael Jacob and Peter Sutton in the starting fifteen but welcomed back Nicky Kirwan who had missed the quarter final through injury.
Oulart had the wind in the first half and took a time to settle into the game and were down by two points to one in the early stages. David Redmond with Oulart’s score. After eight minutes Des Mythen and Rory Jacob put Oulart 3-2 ahead, a lead they were never to relinquish.#
Oulart pushed on from here with steady scores and after 15 minutes were 5-2 ahead and 7-2 up after twenty minutes.
Clonkill had their first score from the 4th minute to make it 9-3 with five minutes to the break and Oulart managed two more to leave the half time score Oulart The Ballagh 0-11 Clonkill 0-3.
Aided by the stiff breeze Clonkill moved their centre back Brendan Murtagh forward to the edge of the square to take an aerial route to goal for the second half.
Dessie Mythen however had different ideas when he pointed to put Oulart further ahead and Tommy Storey added another before Clonkill got their first of the second half score now 13-4.
This kick-started a Clonkill revival and they hit 3 more unanswered points for a 13 points to 7 score after 25 minutes if the second half. Oulart’s experience became a factor and a David Redmond’s effort on goal resulted in Dessie Mythen pointing their second in succession and a 15-7 score line.
Clonkill then had their best goal chance when Brendan Murtagh closed in on goal but Conor O’Leary saved before the rebound was put over the bar. Rory Jacob pointed from the puc out to keep the margin at eight points 16-8.
Clonkill’s Shane Power received a straight red card for a face guard infringement but Oulart had time for two more wides before the referee blew for full time and a result of Oulart The Ballagh 0-16 Clonkill 0-8.
As usua; Oulart The Ballagh put in a team performance with defence and attack doing the tasks they were set. From Conor O’Leary to Dessie Mythen all can be proud of the red and black/
Oulart The Ballagh will now face the Dublin champions Cuala who put 3 goals past Clara in the other semi final.
The AIB Leinster Club Senior Hurling Final is fixed for Sunday November 29th.
Venue not yet fixed but a huge Wexford following is expected to support the team as they seek their first Leinster title.
Clonkill Scorers: Anthony Price 0-3 (0-2f), M Heffernan & N Dowdall 0-2 each, B Murtagh 0-1f.
Oulart-The Ballagh Scorers: D Mythen 0-5, N Kirwan 0-4 (0-1f, 0-1 ’65), R Jacob & D Redmond 0-2 each, G Sinnott, T Storey & P Roche (f) 0-1 each.
Clonkill: G Healy; K Reilly, C Scally, S Power; A McGrath, B Murtagh, L Folan; P Dowdall, E Price; M Heffernan, Adam Price, C Crentsil; Anthony Price, N Dowdall, A Dowdall. Subs: D Egerton for Crentsil (26), N Mitchell for P Dowdall (45), A Mitchell for Adam Price (47).
Oulart-The Ballagh: C O’Leary; E Moore, K Rossiter, B Kehoe; P Roche, S Murphy, K Sheridan; R Jacob, D Redmond; T Storey, T Dunne, P Murphy; D Mythen, G Sinnott, N Kirwan. Subs: D Morton for Moore (39), P Sutton for P Murphy (42), M Doyle for Kirwan (46), M Jacob for Storey (48), L Prendergast for Dunne (58)
Referee: Patrick Murphy (Carlow)
