Munster dream still alive for Ballygiblin

The North Cork side squeezed past Caherline of Limerick to book their place in the 2021 Munster JHC Final.

Colin English, Ballygiblin has a shot on goal stopped by Caherline. Picture: Larry Cummins.

Munster Club JHC semi-final: Ballygiblin (Cork) 1-09 Caherline (Limerick) 0-10 

The dream is still alive for Ballygiblin after the North Cork side squeezed past Caherline of Limerick to book their place in the 2021 MJHC Final.

A goal on 40 minutes from Ballygiblin’s Dillon Sheehan would ultimately be the difference on the day however the victors had to dig deep in the latter stages as the Limerick champions pushed all the way to the final whistle.

From the off this was a well contested, hard, but genuine provincial semi-final as both sides threw everything they had at it in what were terrible conditions – ruling out open hurling.

For the victors, Darragh Flynn, Sheehan, Joseph O’Sullivan and Dean Barry impressed while the Treaty side had Andrew Brennan, Aaron Power and James Enright to thank for eight of their 10-point tally. Their midfield pairing of Jack Carroll and Paraic Wixted also shone. However on the day they were just pipped at the post.

Ballygiblin supporters would have been worried at the interval as their side led by just the minimum at the turn (0-6 to 0-5) despite having a serious gale to their backs.

Those concerns would have been reinforced shortly after the restart as Caherline took the lead for the first time but Ballygiblin had that major on 40 minutes – and from then to the finish they held firm.

Scorers for Ballygiblin: D Flynn 0-6 (five frees, one sixty five); D Sheehan 1-0; M Walsh, D Barry, C English 0-1 each.

Caherline: A Brennan 0-4 (all frees); J English, A Power 0-2 each; J Carroll (free), P Wixted 0-1 each.

BALLYGIBLIN: C Nolan; B O’Gorman, F Herlihy, M Lewis; R Donegan, J Mullins, B Coffey; J O’Sullivan, D Flynn; M Walsh; C English, D Sheehan; K Duggan, S O’Sullivan, D Barry. 

Subs: C O’Brien for J Mullins (inj)(58), A Donegan for D Sheehan (62).

CAHERLINE: M Moloney; W O’Keeffe, P O’Keeffe, D Power; S Whelan, D Murnane, D Balfry; J Carroll, P Wixted; James Kennedy, A Brennan, James Enright; Jack Kennedy, A Power, K Wixted. 

Subs: J Carroll for Jack Kennedy (42), N Tierney for James Kennedy (50), Jack Enright for K Wixted (53), S Wixted for James Enright (60).

Referee: N O’Toole (Waterford)