Ballinhassig 1-14, Shamrocks 1-4
Shamrocks managed to get a team out for a game that meant nothing to them at this stage of the year. The result was inevitable, indeed it could have been a greater winning margin for Ballinhassig but they squandered a hatful of goal chance throughout.
The first half is a half that Shamrocks would want to forget in a hurry. After Brian Sweeney swung over a beauty from play 5 minutes in to level things up at 0-1 apiece, Ballinhassig completely and utterly dominated the rest of the half. Shamrocks, apart from a total of 3 attacks that brought nought, couldnt get the ball beyond the halfway line, such was Ballinhassigs dominance. They went into practice shooting mode and led by 1-10 to 0-1 at halftime.
Shamrocks only had pride to play for in the second period and with a whole host of positional switches, they made a better fist of it and played some nice ball at times, without threathening a goal alas. The game was wide open and while Shamrocks ran at Ballinhassig, the moves invaribly broke down around the 45 bmetre mark. At the other end, Ballinhassig wasted some goal scoring chances but tagged on a few points to keep things moving for them.
Joey Brady got on the end of his brother Philip’s Garryowen with 10 inutes left to bundle home a Shamrocks goal and add some semblence of respectibility to the scoreline. The game limped to its inevitable conclusion.
Starting team: F. O’Neill, A. Hickey, B. Mulqueen, D. Hayes, M. Prout, M. O’Neill, P. Brady, A. McCarthy, B. Cusack, S. Collins, J. Brady, E. O’Mahony, B. Sweeney, S. Downey. Sub used – J. Wilson.
