Buncrana 0-10 Ballela 2-13
IN hurling there is no substitute for sheer class - those wristy feints that separate artists from artisans.
Ballela had an edge in this department as they had a comprehensive win over a game but outgunned Buncrana side in O’Donnell Park, Letterkenny.
The winners had a firm foundation as they eased to a 2-9 to 0-4 lead at the break, and while Buncrana added six points in the second half, there was never any doubting the outcome of this encounter.
Goals from Niall Fegan and Kelvin Magee were key scores for the winners
Ex-Down star Johnny McCusker was a major figure for Ballela.
Dylan Duffy opened the scoring for Buncrana but Ballela hit back swiftly with a goal from Magee.
Caolan O’Neill hit a fine point for Buncrana but Magee (0-2) and a Johnny McCusker free pushed Ballela Into a 1-3 to 0-2 lead after 17 minutes.
O’Neill responded again but Ballela hit back with a killer goal from Fagan, who also converted a sideline. Owen McCreevy and McCusker tagged on further points as half-time beckoned and Conor Grant added a minor for Buncrana but Malachy Magee, John Haughey and Kevin Magee hit back in kind.
Malachy Magee hit the opening point of the second half, but Buncrana hit back with two pointed frees with Paul Tourish and Dylan Duffy adding two more to leave Ballela leading by 2-10 to 0-8.
McCusker and Tourish exchanged points and McCusker and David Carney finished the scoring for the winners as Buncrana captain Conor Grant saw red.
Scorers
Buncrana C O’Neill 0-4 (0-3f); D Duffy & P Tourish (1f) 0-2 each; D Carey & C Grant 0-1 each
Ballela M Magee 0-6 (0-4f); J McCusker 0-5 (0-4f); K Magee 1-1; N Fegan 1-0; J Haughey 0-1
Sean Treacys 0-13 Rasharkin 4-23
Rasharkin comfortably advanced to the last four as they overpowered Sean Treacys and will now face East Cavan Gaels next weekend.
The Lurgan side had come through a preliminary round last week against Erne Gaels, but the St Mary’s men offered a much stiffer challenge and from start to finish they looked a step above their hosts, with the firepower of captain Donagh Quigg, Conor McKillop and Conor McKeever, who all raised green flags, proving too strong.
Quigg hit a quickfire 1-1 to get the game up and running before Sean Treacys replied with points from Conor Carabine (free) and Anthony Carville. But the visiting side then took complete control of the contest, hitting 0-6 on the bounce.
The aforementioned trio all split the posts in that period, while Carville pulled one back for the Lurgan men. Any hopes of a revival were blown away as McKeever, who finished with 1-10, claimed the second three-pointer of the day.
The game had already gone away from Sean Treacys before the short whistle sounded, with 17 points separating the sides when half-time did arrive.
Things only worsened for the Lurgan team after the turnaround, with Quigg grabbing another goal.
Carabine, Carvill and Reece Magee continued to carry the fight for the men in maroon, but they were battling against a formidable blue and yellow tide. McKillop added another goal at the end of the third quarter as St Mary’s ran out convincing 22-point winners.
Scorers
Sean Treacys C Carabine 0-5 (0-4f); A Carville 0-4; R Magee 0-3; N Corey 0-1
Rasharkin C McKeever 1-10 (0-7f); D Quigg 2-3; C McKillop 1-4; S Hasson & C McFerran 0-2 each; C Henderson & B O’Neill 0-1 each
East Cavan Gaels 6-10 Omagh 1-14
EAST Cavan Gaels stormed into the semi-finals with a comprehensive victory over Omagh, St Enda’s at Kingspan Breffni on Saturday.
The home side were never behind and although they only led by two points, 3-4 to 0-11, at half-time, they really turned the screw in the second half after Omagh had levelled with a goal on 44 minutes.
Liam O’Brien, Rory Farrell,, Nicholas Kenny, James Tully, Daire Leddy and Cian McEntee got the goals and the Breffni side will now face Rasharkin in the last four.
Ballinascreen (Derry) 3-33 Inniskeen (Monaghan) 1-7
DERRY champions Ballinascreen had few problems at Celtic Park on Saturday, sweeping aside Inniskeen to set up a last-four encounter with Ballela.
