LEINSTER CLUB HURLING: Ballyhale Shamrocks 1-18 Rathdowney 1-11:AT LEAST down Kilkenny way it's still all about the hurling and nothing but the hurling. While a small enclave of county hurlers somehow believe power and authority is more important than playing, it's comforting to come to Nowlan Park and watch a team like Ballyhale Shamrocks, writes Ian O'Riordan
The question here wasn't so much whether it would be a contest - and in the end it wasn't - but whether Henry Shefflin and company would continue to pick up where they left off. The answer, yet again, is the appetitive and love for the simplicity of playing hurling remains as strong as ever and it's a pity not all fellow county hurlers feel the same.
There was some hope beforehand Rathdowney-Errill, who had came out of one of the most competitive Laois hurling finals in years, could put it up to Ballyhale, who last Sunday collected a third successive county title. That hope faded practically from the throw-in as Ballyhale promptly established a comfortable advantage that they never truly looking in danger of surrendering.
Typically, that process started off with a goal, the last thing Rathdowney wanted to concede so early on, and yet the truth is they were almost entirely to blame as Eoin Reid took advantage of a mishandling error by goalkeeper John Paul Ryan, after a harmless enough shot from David Hoyne, to tap home the opening score.
What happened from there until the break summed up the difference between the teams; Ballyhale picked off scores with ease, while Rathdowney fought tooth and nail for theirs, and when they did manage to put some pressure on the Kilkenny champions they found themselves hit with seven points without reply, which ended any chance of an upset.
Throughout the second half it was quite obvious Ballyhale were content to sail on home. Rathdowney did dig very deep and at least put a little more respect on the scoreboard, but overall the contest lacked any air of excitement.
It does send Ballyhale on to another ominous challenge, the Leinster title. They're due to have home advantage again in two weeks' time for the semi-final meeting with Westmeath champions Raharney, and bar an even greater upset there, it's inevitable they'll be challenging for provincial honours.
As the game pressed on the talk in the pressbox turned to the sum of money found outside Nowlan Park, and what to do with that money should, as it now appeared, it went unclaimed. There wasn't much happening on the field to deny us such trivialities, particularly as Ballyhale clocked up 14 wides as the time wore on.
What allowed them to get away with such wastage was their first-half performance, where they softly killed Rathdowney in every sector of the field. After Reid's goal, Shefflin and TJ Reid hit a beautiful point from play. It seemed almost exhibition stuff.
Rathdowney's opening score didn't come until 10 minutes in, through centre forward Eoin Holohan, but their fiery corner forward Jason Phelan was finally seeing some possession and looking dangerous every time he did. After pointing on 18 minutes, Phelan got his just reward with a goal on 23 minutes. The long ball was sent in by Holohan, and Phelan was perfectly neat and tidy with the finish, which he deftly flicked past James Connolly.
That brought Rathdowney back to within three points - 1-6 to 1-3 - and for a minute or two the game was alive. Unfortunately for the Rathdowney support gathered in the new stand, there was nothing more to sing about in the half, as their team went scoreless, while Ballyhale hit 0-7.
Shefflin, James "Cha" Fitzpatrick and the Reid brothers, Patrick and TJ, all helped inflict the damage and when they headed for the isotonic drinks on a scoreline of 1-13 to 1-3 it was obvious only a miracle would bring Rathdowney back into it.
Instead there wasn't even an apparition of one. Although they hit back with four unanswered points in the first 10 minutes, with wing back Brian Campion hitting over three superb long-range frees in succession, they never got any closer than six points.
Shefflin missed a few frees which only made him more determined to make amends, and he ended with 0-8 in what was another telling contribution. Rathdowney were also guilty of some silly wides, and presumably like that lost sum of money, it wasn't something they could afford.
BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS:J Connolly; P Shefflin, E Walsh, P Holden; M Dermody, A Cummins, B Aylward; J "Cha" Fitzpatrick (0-2, one free), M Fennelly (0-1); H Shefflin (0-8, five frees), B Costelloe, TJ Reid (0-5); P Reid (0-1), E Reid (1-0), D Hoyne (0-1).
RATHDOWNEY-ERRILL:J P Ryan; E Fitzpatrick, L Mahon, N Delaney; B Campion (0-5, four frees, one 65), Pat Mahon, J Fitzpatrick; S Dollard (0-1), Patrick Mahon; E Meagher (0-1, a free), E Holohan (0-1), L Tynan; J Phelan (1-3), A Delaney, J Purcell. Subs: A Kavanagh for Patrick Mahon (half time), L Wynne for Delaney (43 mins).
Referee:B Kelly (Westmeath).
