Ballinacourty’s Patrick Hurney led the scoring charts at Fraher Field
As expected, Ballinacourty got the better of Ardmore at Fraher Field on Saturday evening to progress to the SFC quarter-finals, but they did so without the comfort most had anticipated beforehand.
While the green and white, in truth, never looked like they might suffer a shock reversal, they were able to call upon their tried and trusted attackers to ensure they got the previous weekend’s defeat to The Nire out of their system.
Ten minutes in, Courty struck their sole goal of the evening, as Shane O’Donovan rifled the ball beyobd the lunging Sean Barron after being played through by Mark Ferncombe.
With the proverbial wind in their sails, Courty registered white flaggers via Michael O’Halloran and Patrick Hurney (who emerged as their leading scorer with five points) to lead by 1-4 to 0-1.
But Ardmore, whose form this season has been much improved on 2014, stormed back into contention, with Wayne Hennessy redeployed as a sweeper for the second quarter. Skipper Kenny Murphy grabbed a brace of points, while David Gartland added to the seasiders’ tally.
And prior to the half-time break, having claimed Declan Prendergast’s deep ball, full-forward Conor O’Shea sent Richie Ryan’s onion sack bulging to being Ardmore back within two points of Courty.
With the floodlights ignited after the break, Ballinacourty sprung out of the blocks thanks to points from Patrick Hurney and Mark Fives, but Ardmore swiftly replied thanks to points from Tom Power and Seamus Keating. After Keating sent a free kick to the left and wide, Courty added a brace of points through Patrick Hurney’s precision free taking to send his side four clear.
Shane O’Donovan did the needful from the left flank after an initial slip-up by Sean Barron before Tom Power’s free reduced Ardmore’s arrears.
The next score looked questionable in its awarding after Patrick Hurney’s shot into the ‘Road End’ goal looked as if it had sailed wide of the right hand post, but nonetheless the score was given to stretch their lead out to five points (1-12 to 1-7).
But to their credit, Ardmore (who didn’t submit a team in time for printing on the match team sheet – Courty listed no subs, by the way) plugged away. Conor O’Shea saw a palmed effort off the line before Kenny Murphy and Tom Power registewred further points.
Ardmore keeper Sean Barron denied John Hurney a goal in the closing moments of the game with a fine save, but Courty’s third win from four outings had been well secured by then.
