Duffers sound a championship warning as they crush Ballyheigue

The 25-time winners get their Kerry SHC campaign off to an emphatic start with powerful display in opener at Austin Stack Park 

ON FIRE: Ballyduff had 21 points to spare in their Kerry SHC opener. Stock pic: INPHO/Bryan Keane

Garveys Supervalu SHC Group A Rd 1: Ballyduff 4-20 Ballyheigue 0-11 

Ballyduff may have lost the County League final by a point to Abbeydorney but when it comes to the SHC, the 25-time winners are a different animal as they pummelled a young Ballyheigue side, winning by 21 points. 

In mitigation Ballyheigue were without their injured county players Michael Leane and Colin Walsh but it is doubtful if they could have halted the Ballyduff scoring machine. 

The Duffers dominated the opening half of this opening game in Group A of this year’s Kerry Senior Hurling Championship as Ballyheigue struggled to stay with the 2017 champions at Austin Stack Park. Ballyduff led 2-10 to 0-5 at half time despite shooting 11 wides but they also found the Ballyheigue net twice and that proved decisive. Ballyduff also lost their talisman and free taker Padraig Boyle 20 minutes in as he damaged his groin in setting up Kevin Goulding for a score.

But it mattered little as Ballyduff had a perfect replacement on free-taking duties with young Dylan Moriarty deadly accurate while veteran Mikey Boyle pulled the strings in the half forward line. But it was the Ballyduff defence that was most impressive with Darragh Slattery, J P O’Carroll, Kyle O’Connor and Eoin Ross in complete command with Philip Lucid and Nathan Guerin the only Ballyheigue forwards to score from play.

Ballyduff struck for a goal as early as the 4th minute when Kevin Goulding set up Padraig Boyle who drilled the ball to the Ballyheigue net from an acute angle. It got worse for Ballyheigue in the 22nd minute when Kevin Goulding raced in from the wing and beat keeper Cormac Slattery all ends up.

Ballyduff increased their lead to 2-14 to 0-5 within five minutes of the restart thanks to points from Dylan Moriarty (2), Eoin Ross and a superb Kevin Goulding point. Philip Lucid, Seimi O’Fuarain and Felim O’Sullivan tried their best for Ballyheigue but when Kevin Goulding scored his second goal and an Eoin Ross free was allowed to trickle into the net as the keeper appeared distracted by Mikey Boyle, the game was well and truly over.

Young Killian Boyle came on late on to join his father Mikey and converted a free as the Boyle blood line does not look like ending. Neither does Ballyduff’s incredible championship tradition.

Scorers for Ballyduff: K Goulding (2-2), E Ross (1-4, 1-2 fs), D Moriarty (0-6, 5fs), P Boyle (1-0), K O’Connor and M Boyle (0-2 each), D O’Carroll, J O’Sullivan, K O’Carroll and K Boyle (f) (0-1 each.

Scorers for Ballyheigue: P Lucid (0-6, 2fs, 2; 65’s), F O’Sullivan (0-2, 1f), S O’Fuarain, G Slattery and N Guerin (0-1 each).

BALLYDUFF: D Quinlan; T Slattery, D Slattery, J P O’Carroll; K O’Connor, A Segal, A O’Carroll; E Ross, J O’Sullivan; K O’Carroll, D O’Carroll, K Goulding; P Boyle, M Boyle, D Moriarty.

Subs: J Enright for P Boyle (inj 20), A Kavanagh for D O’Carroll (46), L Kennelly for A O’Carroll (50), D Goulding for K O’Carroll (55), K Boyle for D Moriarty (59).

BALLYHEIGHUE: C Slattery; S O Fuarain, M O’Halloran, D Kearney; G Slattery, C Casey, J Goggin; F O’Sullivan; P Lucid, T Gaynor, B Sheehan; D O’Mahony, E Walsh, N Guerin Subs: J O’Halloran for B Sheehan (h/t), M Harty for D O’Mahony (60), D Donnelly for J Goggin (60) 

Referee: C O’Regan (Cork)