Shefflin leads the charge for Ballyhale
First and foremost, Ballyhale’s facile 17-point win over the Westmeath champions in Mullingar booked their place in the November 30 final.
It’ll be their second final appearance in three years and a chance for the four-time All-Ireland champions to claim a sixth provincial crown.
But Aylward believes another byproduct of Saturday’s success was that his team gave a lesson in hurling to an ambitious Westmeath county that clearly wants to learn.
Aylward revealed how his club conceded home advantage following an offer they couldn’t refuse to showcase the talents of Henry Shefflin and James ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick at Cusack Park.
That’s exactly what happened with Shefflin notching 0-10 while the performances of Fitzpatrick, Mick Fennelly, Aidan Cummins and captain Bob Aylward were convincing.
Afterwards ‘Cha’ and Shefflin signed autographs on the field for so long that their team had departed the dressing-room when they returned.
But they soon joined up with their colleagues as Ballyhale were put up locally in return for conceding home advantage and turned the tie into a ‘bonding’ weekend.
“They (Raharney) requested that we come up with players like ‘Cha’, Henry, Michael Fennelly and the Reids and we obliged,” said Aylward.
“I hope they got something from it. I hope it helped Westmeath hurling to see that kind of scoretaking, how to take points.
“The younger lads who were all out afterwards can go out and practice that stuff now and hopefully try to imitate the Henry Shefflins.”
On their way home yesterday from the midlands venue Ballyhale took in the clash of Birr and St Martin’s in the second semi-final at Tullamore’s O’Connor Park.
After a seven-point win over the Laois champions, Ballyhale were hot favourites to scalp Raharney and duly lived up to their billing.
By the 19th minute Ballyhale led 0-7 to 0-1 after seven points in a row from Eoin and TJ Reid, Fennelly, David Hoyne and Shefflin and there was a sense of inevitability in the air.
Credit to the hosts though, who replied with three in a row themselves including two right wing beauties from Brendan Keogh and Francis Boyle to reduce their arrears at 0-4 to 0-7.
But a huge point from wing-back Aylward kicked Ballyhale back into gear and six more scores from them before the break resulted in 0-13 to 0-5 half-time lead.
With danger man John Shaw well held by Cummins and Raharney hitting 11 wides, they yielded just four points from play overall. At the other end of the field the likes of Shefflin, the Reid brothers, Fennelly and ‘Cha’ impressed in the second half with score after score to kill the tie off long before the final whistle blew.
BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS: J Connolly; P Shefflin, E Walsh, P Holden; M Dermody, A Cummins, B Aylward (0-1); J Fitzpatrick (0-2), M Fennelly (0-3); H Shefflin (0-10; 7f), TJ Reid (0-2), B Costelloe; P Reid, E Reid (0-6), D Hoyne (0-1).
Subs: M Aylward for Costelloe 28, K Nolan for Dermody h/t, T Coogan (0-1) for Fitzpatrick 38-39, Coogan for Holden & J Walsh for TJ Reid 42, G Fennelly for B Aylward 53.
RAHARNEY: Jimmy Greville; Johnny Greville, P Greville, P Mullen; T Doyle, B Connaughton (0-2; 2f), C Jordan; N Flanagan, A Giles; F Boyle (0-1), J Shaw (0-4; 3f), C Flanagan; B Keogh (0-2), B Smyth, D Riggs.
Subs: P Connaughton for Riggs 16, M Conroy for Mullen 29, C Boyle for Flanagan 53, D Flanagan for N Flanagan 56, S Morley for F Boyle 58.
Referee: E Morris (Dublin).
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