Pearses get better of Ballygar
14 points for winners during second half
By Darren Kelly
IN A unique pairing in the Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship played on Saturday, Pádraig Pearses edged over the line for a decisive opening day Group 3 win over Ballygar thanks to three late points.
These teams have followed different paths under the replaced championship structure in recent years with Pearses having played at Senior B level. But it was also one of the hardest contests to call as Division 1 side Ballygar were Intermediate semi-finalists in 2025.
Emmet Ward’s penalty on 28 minutes proved to be a turning point even if the advantage swayed during the second period. But in the end, a 14-point second half tally, against 1-5 for Ballygar, proved sufficient for Shane Raftery’s men.
Pearses’ Jonah Donnellan and Ballygar’s Joey Wallace traded white flags inside two minutes and both proved to be their respective side’s leading players. Ballygar got a major opportunity two minutes later when Harry Mitchell produced the first of two big saves from Harry Holmes.
That didn’t stop John Hanley’s troops as Ballygar raced 0-5 to 0-1 clear by the eighth minute thanks to scores from Eoghan Naughton, Cathal Maloney, Holmes and Oisín McConn. Diarmuid Fahey responded for Pearses, but Ballygar were well on top on 11 minutes.
Ryan Duffy’s long drive from midfield was missed by both Eamonn Trayers and Mitchell to fall over the line for a goal. Donnellan, who finished with a 10-point tally, replied with a brace but Ballygar kept the umpires busy.
Mitchell made his second stop from Holmes but Paddy Downey, playing in the middle third, scored from the left flank and Ballygar added two frees through Karl Healy. A Diarmuid O’Brien white flag on 26 minutes left it 1-9 to 0-4.
Pádraig Pearses needed to reduce the arrears and when Enda Cunniffe sent the ball towards enemy territory, Ronan Flannery was fouled for a penalty. Ward stepped up and registered the three-pointer on 28 minutes. Another Donnellan free before half-time left the deficit at just 1-9 to 1-5 in Ballygar's favour.
It was all to play for and the boys in black halved that gap within four minutes of the restart through Cillian Fahey and Donnellan. But against the run of play, Holmes proved that third time’s a charm and finally got his goal for a 2-9 to 1-7 Ballygar lead.
Pearses stayed in touch through Dean Reilly and a Donnellan free from outside his own 65. Trayers made it 2-10 to 1-9 before the Gurteen-Ballymacward unit delivered their best spell with six unanswered points.
Three Donnellan frees, coupled with Ward, Flannery and a Cillian Fahey placed ball, after Donnellan briefly left the field, overturned the deficit at 1-15 to 2-10. However, Ballygar weren’t finished. Pierce McDonagh (two) and Trayers put them back in front. Donnellan equalised, but McDonagh hit back on 59 minutes.
That was Ballygar’s final point as Ward (two) and Flannery put Pearses two ahead. And they nearly rubberstamped the result when Flannery won a second penalty, but keeper Ryan Mannion was equal to Ward’s strike.
Elsewhere in Group 3, Ballinerreen were 4-22 to 1-18 victors over Rahoon-Newcastle at Pearse Stadium on Saturday.
PÁDRAIG PEARSES: H. Mitchell; E. Lally, E. Cunniffe, R. Carr; Conor Fahy, O. Flannery, O. Burke; J. Donnellan (0-10, 0-9 frees), C. Raftery; D. Reilly (0-1), E. Ward (1-3, 1-0 penalty), R. Bellew; Cillian Fahey (0-2, 0-1 free), R. Flannery (0-2), D. Fahey (0-1). Subs: L. Mitchell, for D. Fahey, half-time; P. Kelly, for Donnellan (temporary), 42-43 mins & for Carr, 44 mins; K. Beckett for L. Mitchell (temporary), 56-58 mins.
BALLYGAR: R. Mannion; G. McGuinness, Enda Naughton, M. Quinn; J. Wallace (0-1), D. O’Brien (0-1), Eoghan Naughton (0-1); C. Raftery, R. Duffy (1-0); O. McConn (0-1), H. Holmes (1-1), C. Maloney (0-1); K. Healy (0-2, 0-2 frees), E. Trayers (0-2), P. Downey (0-1, captain). Subs: P. McDonagh (0-3, 0-3 frees), for Healy, inj., half-time; A. Gavin, for McConn, 52 mins.
REFEREE: Brian Keon.
HERALD SPORT MAN OF THE MATCH: Jonah Donnellan (Pádraig Pearses).