Ballyhale Shamrocks 6-21 Naomh Eanna 4-11
Australia did Colin Fennelly and TJ Reid no harm whatsoever.
The pair were Down Under on a wild goose chase with the Kilkenny hurlers last weekend but they came back to Ireland, back to Wexford Park with their danders up.
From sunny Sydney to the sunny south east, the real business was always the business in Wexford. And despite a slow start for Ballyhale, the hurleys never looked like foreign objects in Reid or Fennelly’s hands.
And by God, the Shamrocks need their deadly duo that sharp. Because Wexford champs Naomh Eanna didn’t hit the ground running in their first ever Leinster senior hurling semi-final, they hit the ground absolutely flying in Wexford Park.
Cathal Dunbar was on fire. The jinky, clever and wistful inside forward had two goals, two absolutely beautiful goals to his name within five minutes of the game.
The Wexford crowd erupted to his gloriously improvised drop-shot goal after two minutes. And again to his bullet from the 21 a couple of minutes later.
Ballyhale had stepped into a lion’s den this Sunday. How would they respond?
Like only the most successful club in hurling history could. Reid and Fennelly led the charge.
TJ Reid, as he so often does, brought calm to the proceedings with a couple of points he had to work harder for than a pint in Coppers on a crowded Tuesday night.
TJ’s brother Eoin got in for a scrappy goal and then, then Colin Fennelly arrived in Wexford. He bursted through the Gorey defence after 15 minutes leaving Wexford men on the ground beside and behind him as he thundered head down towards goal. One on one with goalie Kinsella he buried it into the roof.
A @ColinFennelly goal!
We lead 2-4 to 2-3@BallyhaleGAA
— Shamrocks (@BallyhaleGAA) November 18, 2018
Wexford Park quietened. Ballyhale were doing the shouting now.
Half-time and they led by three. A couple of minutes after the break and this game was over.
It’s a good clean game between two good Hurling sides.@NaomhEannaGAA have given us a fright in the first half but we have recovered.
Nothing in it still.
Half-time @NaomhEannaGAA 2-6@BallyhaleGAA 2-92-8 of that from play. @_tjreid a 65.
— Shamrocks (@BallyhaleGAA) November 18, 2018
The Kilkenny men were like men possessed coming out of the dressing room and Gorey had no answer. Adrian Mullen was joining the party, so was fellow youngster Eoin Cody but it was again Reid and Fennelly – the destroyers in chief.
Fennelly left his marker for dust for another goal and he had two points tacked on, one from the sideline within seconds of that.
Gorey didn’t know where they were, Ballyhale were up by nine and they weren’t finished yet.
Fennelly wanted more and he got it. He ended his day with 4-4 from open play. Ballyhale ended theirs’ with 6-21.
Gorey kept fighting to their credit, but what can you do when this deadly duo are playing like that?
