Brickeys win fifth Western title

Brickey Rangers 0-9;
Ballinacourty 0-5.
Credit both teams for the manner in which they contested this year’s Intermediate Football Final on a night that you wouldn’t put out a milk bottle so atrocious and anti sport orientated were the weather conditions at the Fraher Field last Sunday evening.
In a naturally low scoring encounter, the sides were level on three occasions and it was only in the last five minutes that Brickeys wore down their worthy opponents to win their fifth Western Title to add to victories in 1978, 1980, 1986 and 2006. Brickeys have been plying their trade at Senior level for seven years up to 2013 and it was this experience that stood to them at the very business end of the match.
Ballinacouty’s second team gave an excellent account of themselves here and their combination of youth and experience blended well and they weren’t a million miles away from winning out here. Both teams capably handled the monsoon type rain and the slippery conditions well in the circumstances and this local derby was much more enjoyable than the Senior Hurling Final in Waterford earlier in the day.
Brickeys started well and they had 0-2 on the board courtesy of Mark Shalloe and Conor McGrath by the seventh minute. ’Courty’s David Power had brought a great save out of Joe Grant in the 4th minute and Ross Dunford opened his team’s account with a pointed free in the 10th minute. Dunford had to retire with an injury during the second half and his loss was felt for his team’s winning ambitions in the final quarter. Naturally, scores were few and far between and at the end of the first quarter, Carthach Shalloe gave Brickeys a 0-3 to 0-1 lead with a fine score from play.
Ballinacourty came more into the game scoring wise in the second quarter and scores by David Ferncombe (f) and Conor Prunty levelled the tie at 0-3 each after 22 minutes. A Carthach Shalloe pointed free regained the winners lead in the 27th minute and David Ferncombe replied similarly on the call of half-time. 0-4 each and worries for the Ballinacourty supporters as their key player Laurence Hurney was carried off injured into the dressing room.
The Ballinacourty medical team performed miracles during the break as for the restart a fully recovered Laurence Hurney lined up at midfield for the second half throw-in. Minor player Conor Prunty, who excelled throughout, kicked ’Courty into the lead in the 31st minute and now the contest started in earnest. Amazingly, Ballinacourty were not to score again, yet at the same time, they were in with a shout of winning right up to the final minutes.
Brickeys captain Conor McGrath led by example in levelling the game from play in the 34th minute and for the next 13 minutes, we had a right battle for supremacy with both teams enjoying periods of dominance and looking likely winners.
Carthach Shalloe broke the ice in the 47th minute with a pointed free and six minutes later Conor McGrath came up trumps again with his third score from play, 0-7 to 0-5. Brickey’s were now getting into their stride and they were playing the fast open type of game that they are accustomed to. Full forward Emmet Gaffney tested the metal in the town end crossbar in the 55th minute and a Mark Shalloe pointed free in the 59th minute put that most dangerous of leads to bed on a score of 0-8 to
0-5.
Nine subsitutes had been introduced during the second half and the play continued until the 62nd minute when Man of the Match Shane McGrath finished the scoring in a very sporting local derby final.
On leaving the grounds, patrons got first hand information on what the gallant 39 players, referee John Condon, the umpires, Ground staff and team personnel had to contend with on the wettest night of the year so far.
PRESENTATION
Chairman of the Western Board, Eddie Cunningham presented the O’Neill/ Harnedy Cup, which remembers two fine young Shamrock players, who died at an all too early age, to Brickey captain Conor McGrath, in the presence of Kevin Walsh, representing the Championship sponsors Radley Engineering.
Brickeys Top Three: Shane McGrath, Conor McGrath, Philip Walsh.
Ballinacourty’s Top Three: Laurence Hurney, Conor Prunty, Eoin Enright.
Observer’s Man of the Match: Shane McGrath.
Number of Scorers: Brickeys 4. Ballinacourty 3.
Scores from Play: Brickeys 0-6. Ballinacourty 0-2.
Frees For: Brickeys 17. Ballinacourty 19.
Wides: Brickeys 6. Ballinacourty 7.
Score of the Match: Conor Prunty’s 31st minute point.
Scorers – Brickeys: Conor McGrath 0-3, Carthach Shalloe
0-3 (2f), Mark Shalloe 0-2 (1f), Shane McGrath 0-1. Ballinacourty: Conor Prunty 0-2, David Ferncombe 0-2f, Ross Dunford 0-1f.
Teams
Brickeys: Joe Grant; Carthach Barry, Philly Walsh, Kieran O’Neill; Mark Scanlon, Mark Cummins, Tommy Lynch; Darragh Duggan, Conor Phelan; Shane McGrath, Conor McGrath, Mark Shalloe; Cormac O’Grady, Emmet Gaffney, Carthach Shalloe.
Subs: Diarmuid Tobin (43), Olan Casey (54), Conor Morrissey (58), John Morrissey (61).
Ballinacourty: Richie Ryan; Maurice Power, Martin Lavan, Diarmuid Henley; Eoin Enright, Patrick Lynch, Eoin Bergin; Conor Prunty, Laurence Hurney; David Ferncombe, Ross Dunford, David Looby; Tiernan Murray, Evan Collins, David Power.
Subs: Colm Kindregan and Michael Maher (both 40), Jonathan Moore (50), John Elsted (58), Stephen O’Connor (59).
Referee: John Condon (An Rinn).