Sport

Ballinacourty frustrate Stradbally's hat-trick bid

WATERFORD SFC FINAL Ballinacourty 0-6 Stradbally 0-5: DEFENDING champions Stradbally failed in their bid to complete a hat-trick…

Mon Oct 24 2011 - 01:00

WATERFORD SFC FINAL Ballinacourty 0-6 Stradbally 0-5:DEFENDING champions Stradbally failed in their bid to complete a hat-trick of title wins and claim their eight in a decade when they lost out to their arch-rivals by a solitary point in a tense decider played under the most adverse weather conditions at Fraher Field, Dungarvan, yesterday.

Backed by the near gale-force wind, Ballinacourty dominated the opening half and led by 0-6 to 0-0 at the interval. Four of their points came from the boot of Gary Hurney (three from placed balls), with John Gorman and midfielder and man-of-the-match Shane Briggs chipping in with one each.

Given the horrendous conditions it was far from an unassailable lead, however, and when Pat Weldon broke the defending champions’ scoring duck with a peach of a point within three minutes of the resumption Stradbally’s intent was clear.

For all their possession, however, Stradbally had to wait until the 53rd minute for their second point, from a Shane Ahearne free, but for the remainder of the game they laid siege to the ’Courty goal.

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Niall Curran’s pointed free in the 56th minute narrowed the gap still further and it was down to the minimum when substitute Stephen Cunningham lofted over one from play in the 59th minute.

Both Shane Lannon and Ahearne kicked wide from decent positions, before Ballinacourty sub Conor Moloney saw his fisted goal attempt brilliantly stopped by goalkeeper Oliver Costelloe.

There were no more chances at either end and the final whistle proclaimed Ballinacourty the deserving champions.

BALLINACOURTY: S Enright; M Lavan, J Phelan, G Breen; J Hurney, P Lynch, R Foley; S Briggs (0-1), S O'Hare; J Gorman (0-1), P Hurney, M Fives; J O'Brien, G Hurney (0-4, three frees), M Ferncombe. Subs: J O'Mahony for O'Brien (46 mins), C Moloney for Gorman (53 mins), L Huney for Fives (58 mins).

STRADBALLY: O Costelloe; P Doyle, K Coffey, T Costelloe; T Grey, E Rockett, A Doyle; M Walsh, J Coffey; P Weldon (0-1), S Ahearne (0-1, free), S Lannon; N Curran (0-2, frees), R Ahearne, T Connors. Subs: S Cunningham (0-1) for Connors (half-time); T Curran for Weldon (56 mins).

Referee: T O'Sullivan(Cappoquin).