Abbeyside Ballinacourty 3-21 (30)

Brickey Rangers 0-13 (13)

Abbeyside Ballinacourty have finally arrived in this year’s Waterford Senior Hurling Championship, seeing off the Brickey Rangers with ease to pick up their first win of 2025 at the fifth time of asking. 

Captain Michael Kiely led by example with 2-1, while substitute Eoin Kiely tacked on 1-1 late on to breathe confidence into their charge ahead of the preliminary quarter-finals. 

The Brickeys made a bright start as they sought a first senior win in 60 years, Tom O’Connell rode a challenge to split the posts before pointing a free to establish an early two-point lead.

It took Abbeyside seven minutes to get off the mark but they were soon on level terms, Charlie Treen finding Billy O’Connell in space for their opening score before the same man repeated the trick when left unmarked just seconds later. 

Lar Power was then called into action and made a fine stop to deny Cormac Deevy the game’s opening goal as he latched on to a short effort from Cormac O’Grady – but the Brickeys didn’t have to wait long to go back in front, Cormac Curran providing the score of the match on 12 minutes as he caught Jamie Kiely’s puck out and lashed over from miles out. 

All of Abbeyside’s play went down the right and that proved a most profitable avenue for Benji Whelan’s men – a Treen free and an Evan McInerney effort moved them ahead for the first time midway through the first half, but Tom O’Connell’s effort from the left flank brought the Brickeys level once more. 

Cillian Ryan then found Sean Lennon in space as the sides went blow for blow – another Treen free making it honours even for a fourth occasion. However on 25 minutes, the game’s opening goal afforded Abbeyside Ballinacourty an advantage that they would never again relinquish. 

Treen began to get the better of his individual battle with Ryan and flicked the sliotar around the corner to the onrushing Michael Kiely, and he made no mistake from close range – batting to the bottom left corner to make it 1-5 to 0-5 approaching half time. 

There was still time for Kiely to double his tally and he duly obliged four minutes later – a well-placed pass from McInerney brought Kiely one-on-one with Philly Walsh and he checked inside his marker and drove home again to establish a sudden six point cushion. 

Willie Beresford then got in on the act as the game threatened to run away from the Brickeys – but to their credit, they dug deep to land the next three scores. Curran provided two in a row – the first from a difficult angle and the second from close range when capitalising on a loose ball, before Cormac O’Grady drove upfield and found the radar to rally the troops – 2-6 to 0-8 at the interval. 

Sean Ronayne made it four on the spin when he knocked over the first score of the second period, but a fine point over the shoulder from Treen allayed any fears of an Abbeyside slump. Kiely was then dragged down by Niall Browne when hunting a hattrick and Treen was on hand to point the requisite free – and the game then got away from the Brickeys as Abbeyside landed 5 of the next 6. 

Clare man McInerney made no mistake in acres of space, before Treen repeated the trick and Kiely drove over from miles out when combining with Maurice Power. A Cormac Curran free from well inside his own ‘65 was further evidence of his outstanding individual ability – but it was quickly cancelled out as David Collins opened his shoulders to get in on the act. 

O’Connell fired over a free before Collins showed lightning can strike twice, and the impressive McInerney picked Philly Walsh’s pocket to land his third score. Billy O’Connell cancelled out namesake Tom’s effort with a third score of his own – and the Beresfords, Willie and James, also proved accurate from distance. 

A Treen free opened a late 11-point advantage before a Cormac Deevy effort flashed wide of goal, and Abbeyside responded to that with a third goal of their own. 

Substitute Eoin Kiely got his first score of the evening when found marauding down the left flank – and Abbeyside won back possession from the puck out, Brian Callaghan chased a ball into the corner, he drove at the defence and squared to Kiely – who fired to the roof of the net to put the result beyond any reasonable doubt. 

Fine scores from Treen and another substitute Diarmuid Mackle further exemplified Abbeyside’s dominance as they notched 1-6 without response to round out proceedings. They’ll have confidence heading to the knockouts and can welcome back Conor Prunty and Neil Montgomery, while the Brickeys know they’ll need to be better to land that elusive first victory. 

Scorers for Abbeyside Ballinacourty: Michael Kiely (2-1); Charlie Treen (0-7; 0-3f); Eoin Kiely (1-1); Billy O’Connell and Evan McInerney (0-3 each); David Collins and Willie Beresford (0-2 each); James Beresford and Diarmuid Mackle (0-1 each)

Scorers for Brickey Rangers: Cormac Curran (0-5; 0-1f); Tom O’Connell (0-5; 0-3f); Cormac O’Grady, Sean Lennon and Sean Ronayne (0-1 each)

Abbeyside Ballinacourty: Lar Power; Aidan Higgins, Brian Looby, Colin Foley; Darragh Walsh, James Beresford, Evan McInerney; Maurice Power, Willie Beresford; Michael O’Halloran, Billy O’Connell, Charlie Treen; Michael Kiely, Mark Twomey, David Collins. 

Subs: Eoin Kiely for Michael O’Halloran (43); Conor Kent for Colin Foley (50); Brian Callaghan for Michael Kiely (54); Diarmuid Mackle for Evan McInerney (54)

Brickey Rangers: Jamie Kiely; Niall Browne, Oran Keevers, Cillian Ryan; Cathal Curran, Philly Walsh, Daithi Colleran; Cormac O’Grady, Sean Lennon; Cormac Curran, Tom O’Connell, Conor Morrissey; Mark Cummins, Cormac Deevy, Sean Ronayne. 

Subs: Dan Kelly for Mark Cummins (10); James Hahesy for Conor Morrissey (19); Conor Phelan for Niall Browne (49)

Referee: Thomas Walsh (Modeligo)

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