All-Ireland club champions Ballyhale Shamrocks are on the road again after comfortably retaining the Kilkenny county title.
Henry Shefflin’s side were well worth the nine-point victory after dominating the game following a shaky start as James Stephens struggled to match the champions for skill and physicality.
After a hectic schedule in recent weeks, there’s little rest for Ballyhale on the back of another county title as they start the defence of their Leinster Championship against Westmeath champions in Clonkill in Mullingar next Sunday.
Underdogs James Stephens got off to a tonic start with Tadhg O’Dwyer opening the scoring with a second minute goal, but it would be another 26 minutes before they got their next score from play, a point from the same player.
Moreover, that score was just their second effort at a point from play at that stage as their forward line struggled to make inroads against the Ballyhale rearguard.
The Village were reliant on Eoin Guilfoyle frees to keep in touch but the gap yawned as the first half progressed with the scores coming much easier for the reigning All-Ireland champions.
After Eoin Larkin had cleared off the line from Eoin Cody, Ballyhale responded to O’Dwyer’s early goal with one of their own in the 11th minute through Brian Cody after some tentative defending from James Stephens, which was evident throughout the first half.
Colin Fennelly set up that goal and James Stephens struggled to contain his physical power and he slotted three points as Ballyhale’s lead stretched to six approaching half-time.
It might have been more too as they struck eight wides to The Village’s two, with Hurler of the Year nominee TJ Reid responsible for four of them.
Guilfoyle’s sixth converted free of the day left James Stephens 1-12 to 1-7 adrift at half-time and though it wasn’t a hopeless situation, drastic improvement was required in the second half if they were to relieve Ballyhale of the Tom Walsh Cup.
There was a flicker of promise on that front when they opened the second half with two points, though county midfielder Conor Browne could well have engineered a goal from the second one.
With Reid’s wastefulness continuing at the other end (he would finish with seven wides), Guilfoyle missed a difficult free to reduce the deficit to two points, before Ballyhale found their stride again.
Reid broke through the middle in the 40th minute and arrowed a stickpass to Eoin Cody in front of goal, who raised their second green flag and doubled the champions’ advantage.
They never looked back from there and though a goal might have given hope to an unlikely James Stephens comeback given that they still trailed by six with eight minutes remaining, Ballyhale streaked to victory from there with impressive wing-back Evan Shefflin popping over two points to seal a 17th county title.
BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS: D Mason; D Corcorcan, J Holden, D Mullen; E Shefflin (0-2), M Fennelly, R Reid; R Corcoran (0-1), P Mullen (0-1); A Mullen (0-2), TJ Reid (0-6, 0-4f, 0-1 ‘65’), B Cody (1-1); E Cody (1-2), C Fennelly (0-3), E Reid (0-2).
Subs: J Cuddihy (0-1) for P Mullen (33), M Aylward for B Cody (55), C Phelan for D Corcoran (58), G Butler for R Corcoran (60), J Connolly for Mason (60+2).
JAMES STEPHENS: G Costigan; L Murphy, T Keogh, J Tyrrell; D Hennessy, E Larkin, N Mullins; S Donohoe (0-1 ‘65’), C Kenny (0-1); M Ruth, C Browne (0-1), L Scanlon; T O’Dwyer (1-1), N Brassil (0-3, 0-1f), E Guilfoyle (0-8f).
Subs: J McGrath for Larkin (45), D Walton for Hennessy (46), L Hickey for Keogh (55), M McWey for Murphy (58), J Byrne for Guilfoyle (59).
REFEREE: O Kenny (Tullogher-Rosbercon).
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