Scoreline flatters misfiring Gunners
I don’t have to remind anyone about the weather we’ve had for the last few weeks but I doubt that another pitch in Ireland yesterday was in as good a condition as that in Thurles.
Take a bow, Philly Butler, and all those who work with you.
To the game. For the first 45 minutes this was a complete and utter mismatch. For all the world it could have been the senior champions of Cork against the junior champions of Waterford, such was the gulf in class. So poor were Ballygunner up to then that you wondered how they had won any championship match, never mind the county title.
Then came the last quarter of an hour, and redemption. Those in the stands who had started to fall asleep suddenly woke up, as – without warning – Ballygunner stormed into this game. Newtownshandrum had grown complacent, started to show off a bit and allowed Ballygunner off the hook. They had looked so much on top all over the field, but suddenly they looked very vulnerable. Were it not for the efforts of Pat Mulcahy and Phillip Noonan in the half-back line, and that little terrier at corner-back, Jerry O’Mahony – caught, it must be said, for the first Ballygunner goal – there would be some embarrassment in Newtown today.
Having said all that, I have to give credit to Ballygunner for the way they took their chances in that last quarter, but still, I believe that Newtownshandrum created most of their own problems.
It’s one of the oldest adages in sport, but when you have a team by the throat – as Newtown had yesterday – you drive it home. They didn’t, and almost paid a huge price for their arrogance.
While I’m critical of Newtown for the way they finished, I have to take issue with Ballygunner also. What were they doing for those opening 45 minutes? One point from play was all they managed in that time, and in fact one point from play was all they finished with, Paul Flynn scoring the other eight from frees. Apart from young Phillip Mahoney, the Waterford minor star this year, I didn’t see anyone prior to that in red-and-black who seemed really fired up. They made their charge in the final quarter, but it was too late.
For Newtownshandrum, I was very impressed with the three defenders I mentioned above, all of whom played the full 60 minutes like they knew it was going to be a battle while midfielders, PJ Copse and Cathal Naughton, were completely on top in the first half.
The most dangerous player on the pitch, however, was the Newtown youngster, Jamie Coughlan, at corner-forward. Only 17, but what a leader – he made the first goal, passed to James Bowles when most others would have taken their own point, and he scored the second with a superb first-time shot. Without him, Newtown would not have won. Another Newtownshandrum youngster who impressed was wing-forward Ryan Clifford, who ran himself into the ground. Not for the first time with this team, however, when they needed scores at the end after Ballygunner had come back to draw, who was it that stepped forward? Ben O’Connor, who else, with two points, the first after brother Jerry had been fouled, the second after great work out of defence by Jerry O’Mahony.
Ultimately, however, and though you have to credit Ballygunner for the way they stormed back into this game, I think this result was the right one. Newtownshandrum were much the better team, and the final scoreline flattered the Gunners. I mentioned several of the Newtown youngsters, but Ballygunner had several youngsters of their own on view yesterday, and games like this, outside their own county, will bring them on a ton.
This is a building year for them, and they have the potential to come back to this venue again. They will have to learn, however, to play for the full 60 minutes, not leave everything to a gallant charge at the death.
As for Newtown, they looked the part for so long yesterday but spoiled it with those ten minutes of poor play and almost ruined it for themselves. That won’t do against Ballyhale Shamrocks.
Last word – there’s a young lad in Waterford, Pa Kearney who won a county championship with Ballyduff Upper two years ago and was in a serious car accident a few weeks ago.
Pa is now in the Rehab Centre in Dublin, facing a long and lonely road – at times like this, we should think of men like that. I’m sure we all wish him a full recovery.
