Kerry SHC: Ballyduff beat Lixnaw in cracker thanks to injury time winner

Ballyduff, Abbeydorney and Causeway have already qualified for the knockout stages

Padraig Boyle scored 0-12 for Ballyduff in their Kerry SHC Group 1 victory over Lixnaw. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Kevin Goulding broke Lixnaw hearts with an injury time point as Ballyduff fought back from a eight-point deficit with 13 minutes left to claim victory. 

While Ballyduff will make the knockout stages, Lixnaw, who drew with St Brendans last weekend, must now hope that Ballyduff beat Ardfert by two points at a minimum or they will exit the championship at the group stage. 

Abbeydorney and Causeway join Ballyduff in the the knockout stages, while Crotta should join them, but everything else is up for grabs next weekend.

Ballyduff won on a 1-18 to 1-17 scoreline but there were times in the second half when Lixnaw looked like they were going to get the win they needed. Shane Conway and Podge Boyle scored 0-12 each while Conway scored a fifty 50m sideline cut for the ages to match a first half similar effort, closer to goal for Ballyduff from Jack Goulding.

It was nip and tuck in the opening 20 minutes with Lixnaw leading 0-6 to 0-5 with Shane Conway scoring 0-4, Ivan Conway and Aodhan Shanahan and scoring for Lixnaw while Podge Boyle converted five frees with Jack Goulding scoring that superb sideline cut.

But the crucial score of the half came in the 22nd minute when Shane Conway availed of a poor clearance to set up Mikey Kelliher for a well taken goal.

Lixnaw increased their lead to six at the interval (1-10 to 0-7) thanks to three points from Shane Conway and an Eoin Stack beauty.

Ballyduff, thanks to early points from Adam Segal and Podge Boyle, closed the gap to four but Conway, with two frees, restored Lixnaw’s six point lead. By the end of the third quarter Ballyduff had 11 wides and three Shane Conway frees pushed Lixnaw eight clear (1-15 to 0-10) by the 47th minute.

Then in the 49th minute Adam Segal found Luke Rochford who scored a sensational goal from a tight angle. This gave oxygen to the Duffers with points from Adam Segal and Podge Boyle to close the gap to three, with eight minutes left.

Shane Conway then converted that sideline cut, but they were unable to score for the remaining minutes, as Boyle fired over three points, John Curtin leveled and then Kevin Goulding got the winner.

The opening game at Austin Stack Park on Sunday saw Causeway and Ballyheigue having to share the spoils in a Group 2 contest on a 1-18 to 0-21 scoreline. Causeway will be livid for letting a big lead slip. 

Causeway, who beat Kilmoyley in the opening round, were leading 0-12 to 0-6 at half time thanks to eight different scorers, with Paul McGrath converting two frees while Brandon Barrett, Tommy Casey and Jason Diggin contributed 0-5 of the total. Ballyheigue were struggling with Philip Lucid nailing three points but his radar off from placed balls and Colin Walsh had to take over.

When Billy Lyons availed of a defensive slip up twenty seconds after the restart, to find the Ballyheigue net and Muiris Delaney added a point, it left Causeway cruising at 1-13 to 0-7.

Colin Walsh made Causeway pay with seven points from placed balls and three points from play by Philip Lucid. Suddenly the game was in the melting pot. Rory O’Halloran and Mathew O’Sullivan added three points between them as Causeway faltered and points by Walsh and Lucid had Ballyheigue a point in front deep in stoppage time. But Paul McGrath from a free saved Causeway’s blushes.

On Friday night, Abbeydorney beat local rivals Crotta O’Neills by 0-20 to 0-15 with Michael O’Leary top scoring with 0-7, while Kerry players Michael Slattery scored 0-4 from play, Oisin Maunsell and Jack Sheehan two each. Jordan Conway was Crotta’s top gun, scoring 0-9, while Gavin Parker and Seanie McElligott scored two apiece. Abbeydorney will top the group while Crotta must beat Tralee Parnells next Friday night to say in the championship.