Ballinacourty turn on style in second-half

BALLINACOURTY cruised into the Waterford SFC final with an impressive second-half display at Walsh Park on Saturday.

Gaultier stormed out and led the favourites 0-6 to 0-2 by the 18th minute. But that was to be end of their first half scoring blitz as Ballinacourty began to up their game. Seconds before the interval Mark Ferncombe fired home a penalty after a foul on the influential Gary Hurney to give ‘Courty a 1-4 to 0-6 lead at the break.

Though JJ Hutchinson had Gaultier level within four minutes of the restart, Ballinacourty controlled affairs for the remaining half hour. Six unanswered points edged the winners into a commanding lead before a super Anthony Fitzgerald save to deny Gaultier’s Stephen Enright in the 50th minute ended the game as a contest

Scorers for Ballinacourty: M. Ferncombe (1-2, 1-0 penalty, 0-1 free); M. Gorman (0-4); G. Hurney (0-3, 0-1 free); P. Hurney (0-2); S. Briggs, R. Foley, J. O’Mahony, S. O’Hare (0-1) each.

Scorers for Gaultier: W. Walsh (0-4); C. O’Riordan (0-2); JJ Hutchinson (0-2, frees); M.Wyse, R. Hearne (0-1) each.

BALLINACOURTY: S. Enright; M. Lavin, J. Phelan, G. Breen; J. Hurney, S. Briggs, R. Foley; J. O’Mahony, P. Lynch; S. O’Hare, G. Hurney, C. Moloney; M. Gorman, P. Hurney, M. Ferncombe.

Subs: J. Ryan for Lavin; R. Sheehan for P. Hurney; J. O’Brien for O’Mahony.

GAULTIER: J. Cusack; R. Cusack, G. Molloy, PJ Scollard; R. Hearne, T. Dunphy, M. Wyse; S. Hearne, W. Walsh; D. Smith, R. Walsh, P. Quinn; J. J. Hutchinson, C. O’Riordan, A. Fitzgerald.

Subs: B. Carroll for R. Walsh; E. Kirwan for Fitzgerald.

Referee: A. Casey.