By: Mary Dunne
Molloy Precast and Environmental Systems Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Final
Belmont: 0-20
Birr: 0-18
Belmont booked their place in the final four of the Molloy Precast and Environmental Systems Senior Hurling Championship when they withstood a second half onslaught by Birr to line up a semi final date with Ballinamere in two weeks’ time.
Played in Glenisk O’Connor Park, on Sunday evening last, Belmont who were coasting in this game and led comfortably by seven points at the break, had to really batten down the hatches in the second half as Birr came with a with pep in their step.
At times in the second half it looked to be slipping from them, but with some vital interceptions at the back by Ciaran Cahill, Aron McCabe, Leon Fox and Darragh Flynn, they drove them forward when they needed it most and it was Belmont who held on for what was a massive but extremely hard earned win.
Belmont never panicked and when they needed calm heads they had plenty of players who showed that. Even when Birr went in front on the 50th minute, they regrouped and move the ball with amazing precision, getting their players into vital positions who in turn took some much needed scores.
Birr certainly after a very poor opening half showing did themselves a lot of justice in the second half and they just came up short. Eoghan Cahill was their key man he kept them fighting right to the bitter end.
Naturally Birr will be very disappointed with the outcome, but effectively this game was won and lost in the opening half. They struggled too much to get a grip on the game in the opening thirty and while they were put in a tremendous shift in the second half, they just came up short.
With both clubs really under achieving at senior level over the past number of years, this clash was always going to be one watched with a lot of interest.
Both sides came in to the game of the back of defeats in the last group games. Birr who faced off against KK in the last round had the opportunity to take the reigning champions out of the equation, but on the evening it was KK who certainly stole the show.
Likewise in their last group game, Belmont had an ideal opportunity to see Shinrone out, but like that too, Shinrone who were fighting for their lives saw off the challenge of Belmont and thus brought them to a quarter final spot.
This game as very slow to come to life and with both sides final shooting certainly off the boil the scores were few and far between in the opening exchanges. It was scrappy and sloppy at times and it found it very hard to get into any flowing rhythm at all.
It was Belmont who started well and with less than sixty seconds on the clock David Nally pointed from a free.
Jack Clancy added to that moments later with a superb shot from long distance and with two minutes played they were 0-2 to no score to the good.
Birr when they did settle, they had plenty of chances, but they were quiet indecisive in front of goal and on a few occasions it played into Belmont’s hands and along with that Damien Egan came to Belmont’s aid pulling off a great save from Eoghan Cahill.
Birr did get off the mark on the 6th minute with a superbly struck sideline cut from Eoghan Cahill and with a free also from the same man on the 13th minute, the sides were deadlocked at 0-2 each.
Belmont however were starting to come into their own. Their ability to pick out their players was second to none and it was only a matter of seconds before it showed on the scoreboard.
Ronan Flynn who has been having a fine year indeed in the middle of the field for them fired over the leading score on the 14th minute, before David Nally hit over from the play straight from the puck out and with that they were two clear 0-4 to 0-2.
Ailbe Watkins pulled one back for Birr, but it was Belmont who started to play some lovely hurling and with scores from Paddy Clancy (2), Ronan Flynn, Colin Egan and David Nally , they were suddenly six clear 0-9 to 0-3 with twenty four played.
A free from Eoghan Cahill broke their momentum somewhat, but with Paddy Clancy popping over this third from play, Belmont were six clear 0-10 to 0-4 as half time loomed.
The score of the half came on the 31st minute when Ronan Flynn dispatched from the middle of the field and with a fine one two between David Kelly and David Nally, David Kelly took the return to fire over a lovely score from under the stand.
Birr were really struggling to gain any type of possession and with only one of their scores for the half coming from play, it really was very hard to see where they were going to pull this game out of the fire.
Eoghan Cahill did hit over another free for Birr before the break, but it was cancelled out seconds later at the other end thanks to a David Nally free, to leave the half time scores reading 0-12 to 0-5.
Birr had to deliver in the second half and to be fair they certainly came out with that intention. By the 35th minute they had outscored Belmont by three points to one and they certainly were asking a lot more questions of Belmont.
Brendan Murphy landed their second score from play inside twenty seconds of the restart and with another fine score from play from Eoghan Cahill and a subsequent follow up free either side of a free from David Nally, the gap was back to five 0-13 to 0-8 with thirty five played.
Birr certainly were out to prove that they were here to play and in the next sequence of play they were all over Belmont.
Time and time again they punished them with frees and with Eoghan Cahill on fire he hit over their next five scores as Belmont were the ones living off scraps now.
Oisin Kelly did land a monstrous score for them along with David Nally hitting over a fee to break the Birr momentum somewhat, but with another fine score this time from Luke Nolan the gap was suddenly one, 0-15 to 0-14 with forty seven on the clock.
A signs were pointing in Birr’s favour now and for the first time since the opening minute of the game they took the lead with a brace of scores from Emmet Nolan and Brendan Murphy bringing the scores to 0-16 to 0-15 with fifty played.
Birr really should have pushed on from there, but they allowed Belmont to regroup and with two scores in quick succession from David Nally, the lead had changed hand again.
This game was going to go right down to the final whistle and at times it looked like we could have been heading for extra time, as Eoghan Cahill drew the sides level at 0-17 each on the 57th minute.
Conor Grennan fired over a massive score for Belmont on the puck out and with a follow up score from David Nally, Belmont were two clear 0-19 to 0-17 with sixty on the clock.
Eoghan Cahill again responded, but it was Belmont who had the final say of the game with none other than David Nally hitting over to bring the final scores to 0-20 to 0-18 and a semi final spot for Belmont.
The Scorers
Belmont: David Nally 0-10 (0-7 Frees), Paddy Clancy 0-3, Ronan Flynn 0-2, Jack Clancy 0-1, Colin Egan 0-1, David Kelly 0-1, Oisin Kelly 0-1, Conor Grennan 0-1.
Birr: Eoghan Cahill 0-13 (0-11 Frees, 0-1 Sideline), Brendan Murphy 0-2, Ailbe Watkins 0-1, Luke Nolan 0-1, Emmet Nolan 0-1.
The Teams
Belmont: Damien Egan; Aron McCabe, Ciaran Cahill, Darragh Flynn; Pat Taaffe, Leon Fox (Capt.), Jack Clancy; Ronan McEvoy, Ronan Flynn; Paddy Clancy, David Nally, David Kelly; Colin Egan, Oisin Kelly, Brian Carroll.
Subs: Adam Nugent for Colin Egan (47 mins), Mark Egan for David Kelly (47 mins), Conor Grennan for Ronan McEvoy (inj. 51 mins), Conor Dunican for Brian Carroll (60 mins).
Birr: Adam Fitzgerald; Jimmy Irwin, Cormac Kenny, Sean Ryan; Ben Miller, Padraic Watkins, Colm Mulrooney; Joe Ryan, Brendan Murphy; Ailbe Watkins, Luke Nolan, Barry Harding; Morgan Watkins (Capt.), Eoghan Cahill, Darragh Tierney.
Subs: Ian Kerin for Darragh Tierney (28 mins), Campbell Boyd for Jimmy Irwin (Half Time), Emmet Nolan for Barry Harding (Half Time), Niall Lyons for Brendan Murphy (50 mins), Lochlann Quinn for Luke Nolan (56 mins).
Referee: Brian Gavin (Clara).
By Offaly Secretary Sun 20th Sep
