Ballybrown secure Limerick senior hurling quarter-final spot after victory over Dromin-Athlacca

BALLYBROWN have secured a quarter-final spot in the Bon Secours Limerick senior hurling championship and Group One status for next season after a two-point victory over Dromin-Athlacca, 4-20 to 4-18, in Claughaun this Sunday afternoon. 

In an extremely high scoring contest, Dromin-Athlacca struck for a 62 minute goal to put them only one point behind their opponents. However, a final score by Ballybrown substitute Bryan Griffin clinched the precious win for them.

Standout performances from Ballybrown's Aidan O'Connor and Dromin's David Reidy saw them top scorers in a game of pure determination. 

From the outset the match was extremely high intensity as Ballybrown's O'Connor got the first score of the game immediately off the throw-in. This point was matched with David Breen's effort after 50 seconds. 

O'Connor stepped up on the two minute mark to slot over his first free of the game yet again followed by Mike Reidy's effort for Dromin-Athlacca to level the game, 0-2 a piece. 

Ballybrown pushed on in these early minutes with fabulous points from Andrew Cliffe and Luke O'Connor, who were both heavily defended.

Despite doing well scoring at the opposite end of the field, Ballybrown's defenders struggled with the on running Dromin forwards with their attacking play awarding them a penalty after seven minutes. Captain David Reidy stood up to the challenge and made no mistake with the shot rifling it into the back of the net to put them 1-2 to 0-4 ahead.

In the next play Ballybrown levelled the game once again with a pointed shot from Ross Kenny. With the game all square Ballybrown did well to move the ball quickly up to their forwards as Barry Adams found a cutting Kenny, who shot the ball into the back of Dromin's net. 

David Reidy answered with a point from play before Ballybrown were on the attack again as a wayward pass from Dromin-Athlacca's backs was intercepted by Barry Adams with Aidan O'Connor on the receiving end of this pass, firing the sliothar into the back of the net to leave it 2-5 to 1-3 after 12 minutes of play.

Dromin tried to answer back with another three frees from Reidy, closely followed by O'Connor's effort on 15 minutes before Ballybrown struck again as midfielder Leigh Doolin made a looping pass to Aidan O'Connor who rifled in his second goal of the game.

Barry Adams seemed to be involved in most plays for Ballybrown, unselfishly giving up the ball to let others score with Ross Kenny firing over a point. 

A miscommunication on their puck-out let Dromin-Athlacca's David Breen with the sliothar making no mistake with the shot firing their second goal of the game into the net leaving it 3-7 to 2-7 after 20 minutes.

O'Connor seemed to be unstoppable in the opening half as he struck once more, getting through the Dromin defence and adding his third goal of the half to Ballybrown's scoring tally.

Dromin-Athlacca ended the half with three more pointed frees from David Reidy followed by two points from O'Connor to leave it 4-9 to 3-10 at half-time. 

Compared to the opening half the final 30 minutes was very stop start with both teams struggling to find a rhythm. Reidy got the scoring underway with a point from play, answered almost immediately by O'Connor's effort. 

Scores went back and forth for a period of time as Ballybrown tried their best to hold on to their lead. This was made difficult by Dromin's constant pressure from free's as David Reidy was reliable as ever throughout. 

Fabulous points from distance from Ballybrown's Ross Kenny and Barry Adams kept them in the lead before an injury-time goal from Dromin's David Breen looked to upset the result, with Ballybrown in the lead by only one-point.

Ballybrown substitute Bryan Griffin commanded the sliothar and fired over the final point of the game to secure the two-point victory for his side.

SCORERS DROMIN-ATHLACCA: David Reidy 1-13 (0-11 frees), David Breen 3-1, Jack Fitzgibbon 0-2, Shane Fitzgibbon, Mike Reidy 0-1 each. BALLYBROWN: Aidan O'Connor 3-9 (0-6 frees), Ross Kenny 1-4, Barry Adams 0-2, Andrew Cliffe, Luke O'Connor, Killian Gavin, Leigh Doolin and Bryan Griffin 0-1 each.

DROMIN-ATHLACCA: James Kelleher, Sean Morrissey, William Dore, Shane Scully, Shane Fitzgibbon, Cian Scully, Shane Rabbite, Peter Ryan, Mike Reidy, Daniel Scully, David Reidy (C), Peter McMahon, Seanie O'Leary, David Breen, Jack Fitzgibbon. SUBS: Patrick O'Donoghue for S Rabbite (22 minutes), Stephen Power for P Ryan (26 minutes)

BALLYBROWN: Josh O'Reilly, Stevie O'Reilly, Kenny Power, Keith Punch, Kevin Foster, Colin Coughlan, Thomas O'Connor, Killian Gavin, Leigh Doolin, Ross Kenny, Aidan O'Connor, Luke O'Connor, Barry Adams, Andrew Cliffe, Ross Griffin. SUBS: Bryan Griffin for K Power (37 minutes), Ned Quinn for S O'Reilly (47 minutes), Barry O'Connor for A Cliffe (61 minutes)

REFEREE: Johnny Murphy (Glenroe)