Goals do the trick as Callan advance to last four of Kilkenny JHC

Goals proved the vital ingredient for John Lockes as they overcame St. Patrick’s (Ballyragget) in Sunday afternoon’s J.J. Kavanagh Bus Kilkenny Junior Hurling Championship Quarter-Final in Palmerstown.

Two second half moments in this exciting contest were key to the Callan men grabbing the third Premier Junior Semi-Final spot. With St. Patrick’s enjoying a good period with plenty of possession, sub Josh Dowling won the ball and as he headed towards the John Lockes goal he laid it off to Jack Morrissey who somehow hit his shot to the right of the John Lockes goal and wide.

In contrast Ollie O’Donovan won possession for John Lockes against two St. Patrick’s defenders on the endline and he worked his way towards the goal to tap the sliothar to the Ballyragget net past goalkeeper Billy Morrissey for his side’s second goal.

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The sides were level five times in the opening half, an indication of the closeness of the exchanges.

Tomas Roche wearing the number fourteen jersey but playing well out the field was superb for the winners landing some excellent points from play and frees. His overall work rate was key to his side’s victory.

With both sides opting to play with a sweeper, forwards struggled for possession, but in truth, the deliveries from both defences were careless at times making the sweeper’s task all the easier to gain possession.

St. Patrick’s Sean Brennan was a constant threat to the John Lockes defence and he enjoyed plenty of possession, landing three excellent points.

Both teams opted for a lot of short play. When it worked it looked impressive, but too often the attack broke down handing possession back to their opponents.

Both attacks were also guilty of some indecisiveness at times, overplay the ball with tap over points there for the taking.

The game’s opening goal arrived on twenty-three minutes and it involved a superb run out of the John Lockes defence by Michael Lynch. He landed the sliothar in the direction of Zak O’Halloran who rounded his market to score.

Further points followed for the winners from Ollie O’Donovan, Ryan Donovan Cooke, Tomas Roche and Owen McGrath with St. Patrick’s sole response a Sean Brennan point and those scores saw the Callan men ahead 1-12 to 0-10 at the interval.

Two early pointed frees at the start of the second half for St. Patrick’s from Rob Doheny heralded a short period of dominance for the Ballyragget men, but they could never edge their way into the lead.

Much of this was down to a superb John Lockes defence where Michael Lynch and Adam O’Sullivan stood out.

The pendulum swung strongly in John Lockes favour with Ollie O’Donovan’s seventeenth minute goal.

It was a superb individual effort from the young corner forward. Three pointed frees from Rob Doheny for St. Patrick’s had the margin back to two points by the twenty-first minute, but the Ballyragget men could not build on that trio of points from Doheny.

The intensity grew as the game entered the closing stages. Both teams exchanged points, but the goal that St. Patrick’s badly needed never appeared likely with John Lockes impressively closing down all avenues to their goal.

Teams and Scorers

John Lockes: Tomas Roche (0-9, 0-6 Frees); Ollie O’Donovan (1-2); Zak O’Halloran (1-0); Eoghan Lynch (0-3); Owen McGrath, Ryan Donovan Cooke (0-2, each); Michael Lynch, Ryan Bergin (0-1, each).

St. Patrick’s: Rob Doheny (0-9, 0-5 frees and 0-2 ‘65); Sean Brennan (0-3); Christian Connick (0-2, 0-1 Line Ball); Jason Phelan (0-2); Billy Morrissey, Jack Morrissey, Mark Doheny, Josh Dowling, Kevin Kelly, Richie McEvoy (0-1, each).

John Lockes: Brian Doheny, Michael Lynch, Jack McDowell, Tony Delaney, Paddy O’Brien, Adam O’Sullivan, Denis O’Sullivan, Ciaran Phelan, Ryan Donovan Cooke, Eoghan Lynch, Owen McGrath, Ryan Bergin, Ollie O’Donovan, Tomas Roche, Zak O’Halloran.

Subs – Cathal McGrath for Tony Delaney and Tommy Hoyne for Cathal McGrath.

St. Patrick’s: Billy Morrissey, Steve Staunton, Mark Staunton, Chris Delaney, Christian Connick, Ned Glennon, Geoff Brennan, Richie McEvoy, Mark Doheny, Rob Doheny, Jason Phelan, Cian Doheny, Sean Brennan, Jack Morrissey, Marc Bergin.

Subs – Michael Brennan for Marc Bergin, Josh Dowling for Jason Phelan, Kevin Kelly for Richie McEvoy and Kieran Bergin for Christian Connick.

Referee: Eamonn Larkin (James Stephens).