Strong start proves half the battle for Ballyhale

LEINSTER SHC FINAL Ballyhale Shamrocks 2-13 Birr 1-11: ALMOST A winter's tale of the unexpected. Ballyhale broke from the start at the sort of gallop one would have expected, but Birr, Leinster's equivalent of the men they couldn't hang, almost fashioned a second-half comeback which would have been a sensation.

In the end they came up short but left with their heads high.

Defensive errors in the first 16 minutes let the Reid brothers, TJ and Eoin, in for goals which Birr spent the rest of the afternoon regretting.

TJ pounced on a loose ball from an error for his side's first after five minutes and when on the 16th minute his older brother scored Ballyhale's second we settled in for a rout which would be a sad but long expected end to Birr's heroic presence in this competition over the years. As it happened, a rueful line of Pat Joe Whelahan's post-game reflections summed up what happened thereafter. "Birr" he said, "will never lay down".

They went into the break trailing 2-8 to 0-6 with their one point from play having come, almost inevitably, from Brian Whelahan, fending off a bad knee injury. Younger brother Simon scored the rest from placed balls.

Ballyhale, it seemed, just had too many options. Colin Fennelly, who showed so well for Kilkenny in this year's under-21 All-Ireland win, came into the team from the start and scored their first score. At 19, he looks a serious addition to the family lineage and Ballyhale's armoury.

Elsewhere, Cha Fitzpatrick contented himself with being busy if unspectacular in a midfield where the exchanges were always bone-crunchingly frank. Henry Shefflin, at centre forward, was himself, a regal presence with a hungry peasant's ball-winning ability. There was a little frisson of excitement in Nowlan Park every time he contested a ball.

Ballyhale's superiority in the first half was decorated by a sublime line ball from Michael Fennelly (a feat matched by Simon Whelahan) and it seemed when Seán Ryan went close for a Birr goal that it was just going to be one of those forlorn mismatches between once vibrant rivals.

Birr's half-time tea of draught of Pat Joe transformed them, however. The man seemed invigorated by a live current on the sideline and his exhortations drew the best out of Birr.

As they picked off the points however their desire for a goal became more and more pressing.

Several attempts were snuffed out and another hit the back of a hapless defender before Seán Ryan turbo accelerated toward the Ballyhale goal with the ball on his stick and deferred wisely at the last moment when, having drawn the full back, he let the ball into Brian Whelahan. The great man finished with scarcely a bat of the eyelid and with 12 minutes or so left it was game on.

Ballyhale did just enough however to hold on. Birr owned the ball, but a couple of points scored against the tide kept Ballyhale on course for their much-anticipated semi-final against Portumna in the new year.

Reflecting on a win hewn out of a good start in bad conditions, Maurice Aylward echoed a popular theme. "Of course a win three weeks before Christmas is nice, but this is the type of game that should be played in May or June.

"We always knew Birr would come back at us," added Aylward. "They are proud and very experienced. They were not going to come here and lose by 10 or 12 points. We won a Leinster final by five points. Anyone would be happy with that."

Down the corridor they could hear the happy whoops of the Kilkenny men and Birr know enough about hurling at this level to know that a good start is half the work.

"We left it behind us," said the irrepressible Pat Joe. "Our first half let us down. I dropped Rory Hanniffy back and I sort of regret that. I couldn't believe the way it all went so bad in the first half.

"In the second half we pulled back into it. I'm very disappointed. We left it behind us. We were no-hopers coming in and I feel a bit depressed. We had them on the rack. We won four puck-outs in a row off them. They were arguing with each other and fighting."

With a grandson on the bench, Pat Joe was asked if his eldest son Brian would be back again next year. The Ballyhale boys remembered lining up to shake the great man's hand a couple of years ago when Birr beat them and they assumed they would never see him again. "He has 12 county medals. I'd say he'll be back to go for his 13," said Pat Joe.

Something to look forward to.

BALLYHALE: J Connolly; P Shefflin, E Walsh, P Holden; M Dermody, A Cummins, B Aylward; J Cha Fitzpatrick, M Fennelly (0-1 lineball); C Fennelly (0-1) H Shefflin (0-7, four frees), TJ Reid (1-1); P Reid, E Reid (1-1), M Aylward (0-2).

BIRR: B Mullins; JP O'Meara N Claffey, M Verney; P O'Meara (0-2), P Cleary, B Watkins; R Hanniffy, Barry Whelahan; D Hayden (0-1), S Whelahan (0-7 six frees, one '65'), G Hanniffy; S Ryan, B Whelahan (1-1)B Lonergan. Subs: P Molloy for Watkins (35 mins), S Brown for Lonergan (38 mins).

Referee: F Smith(Meath).