Burgess outclassed by Beale

GAA: Munster Club Junior 'B' Football Semi-Final

Beale 2-15

Burgess 0-4

Report: James Hayden in Ballyagran

Photos: Bridget Delaney

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Ian Mannix (Beale)

SCORERS – Beale: Ian Mannix 1-5 (0-3 frees); Robert Stack (3 frees), Eoin Tydings (1 free) 0-4 each; Barry O’Neill 1-0; Shane O’Connor, Daithi Toomey 0-1 each.

Burgess: Aidan O’Dwyer 0-2; Stephen Kirwan (free), Bill O’Flaherty 0-1 each.

Kerry champions Beale proved far too strong for a battling Burgess side in what proved a decidedly one-sided Munster Club Junior ‘B’ Football semi-final encounter at a breezy Ballyagran on Sunday afternoon.

Tipperary champions Burgess’ memorable sojourn with the big ball was brought to an abrupt end by a strong Beale side peppered with youth and experience. However, it was a season to remember for the north and county champions who acquitted themselves extremely well in the Munster competition with a quarter-final victory over Clare side Wolfe Tones.

The recently crowned North Tipperary Club of the Year went into this encounter hopful of causing an upset over a strong Beale side but the famed club from Ballybunion displayed the necessary tactical nous and guile throughout to overcome a determined Burgess side.

Burgess played into the teeth of a strong and influential breeze sweeping down the field in the opening half and for the opening quarter they very much kept pace with their Kerry counterparts.

Boasting such famed past players as Denis Ogie Moran and Eoin ‘Bomber’ Liston, the Ballybunion side were slow to settle following three poor wides inside the opening five minutes but a seventh minute free from the boot of the influential midfielder, Robert Stack finally got the Kerry champions off the mark.

Burgess’ response was immediate with Michael Ryan setting up Aidan O’Dwyer for a sublimely-flighted effort following an impressive surge up field from corner-back, Daire Hogan. Burgess hit the front in the ninth minute following a well-taken Stephen Murray free after Fionnan Toomey pulled down Michael Ryan thirty metres from goal.

Beale retorted with an impressive point after corner-back Shane O’Connor arrowed over a fine point off the outside of his right boot before Burgess almost rattled the net after captain Kieran Grace snaffled a deft tap down from Johnny Mulqueen following a throw ball in front of the goal on thirteen minutes. Beale goalkeeper, Joe Downey got down well to deny Burgess what would have been a huge boost for the Tipp champions.

Within two minutes, Beale had propelled themselves into lead they would never relinquish with a close-range free from full-forward Eoin Tydings after he gathered well for an advanced mark. Robert Stack added a close-range sixteenth minute free before Tydings clipped over a deft effort to fire Beale into a 0-5 to 0-2 lead.

Momentum had well and truly swung in favour of the Kerry side and yet another measured build-up yielded a well-crafted point on 23 minutes. A brace of frees from centre-forward Ian Mannix inside a fruitful three-minute spell fired Beale into a 0-8 to 0-2 lead before a third free on the bounce from Mannix coupled with a tremendous effort from range opened the gap out to eight.

Burgess were really struggling to contain Beale at this stage and despite the best efforts of a battling Burgess rearguard they just couldn’t contain a dominant Beale side.

The Kerry champions added another point just before the break with Eoin Tydings bisecting the uprights from close range to ensure Beale took a deserved 0-11 to 0-2 lead to the dressing room at the interval.

Burgess enforced two changes at the break with Jack O’Flaherty and Stephen Kirwan introduced and straight from the re-start the Tipp champions could have netted but Eoin Grace’s effort was again blocked by Joe Downey in the Beale goal.

Burgess battled hard to get back into the game in the opening minutes of the half, but Beale soaked up the pressure before hitting Burgess with a two-point salvo in the 38th & 39th minutes. Bill O’Flaherty responded with a third point for Marty Caulfield’s side before midfielder Daithi Toomey put eleven between the sides with a well-taken point on the three-quarter hour mark.

The final quarter saw Beale copper-fasten victory with two goals serving to embellish their deserved victory, the first from the boot of substitute Barry O’Neill on 46 minutes before Eoin Tydings set up Ian Mannix for a well-engineered 58th minute goal.

Despite the yawning gap between the sides Burgess kept on battling with the impressive Aidan O’Dwyer firing over his side’s fourth and final point on 55 minutes but the outcome was clearly a foregone conclusion at this stage,

A fractious closing five minutes saw referee John O’Halloran brandish yellow cards to both sides and also a harsh enough red to Burgess centre-forward Michael Ryan following a minor schemozzle in front of the Beale goal.

Beale eventually ran out deserving victors and had fine performances from Ian Mannix, Eoin Tydings, Robert Stack, Fionnan Toomey and Joe Downey while Kieran Grace, Johnny Mulqueen, Aidan O’Dwyer, Michael Ryan and Daire Hogan were to the fore for Burgess.

TEAMS - Beale: Joe Downey (7); Shane O'Connor (7), Andrew O'Connor (7), Joe Finch (7); Seaview O'Sullivan (7), Fionnan Toomey (7), Jack O'Sullivan (7); Robert Stack (8), Daithi Toomey (7); Conor Toomey (7), Ian Mannix (8), Jeremy King (Capt, 7); Jack Mallon (7), Eoin Tydings (8), Eric Daly (7).

Subs: Barry O’Neill (7) for C. Toomey (HT); Chris Kiely (6) for O’Sullivan (45); Sean Moloney (6) for Mallon (45); Rory Mulvihill (6) for O’Connor (50).

Burgess: Colm O'Brien (7); Willie Ryan (7), John O'Brien (7), Daire Hogan (7); Kieran Grace (Capt, 7), Tony Dunne (7), Aidan O'Dwyer (7); Tony Hogan (6), Johnny Mulqueen (7); Kieran Ryan (7), Michael Ryan (7), Danny Ryan (6); Sean Dunne (7), Stephen Murray (7), Eoin Grace (7).

Subs: Stephen Kirwan (6) for Hogan (HT); Jack O'Flaherty (6) for D Ryan (HT); Bill O'Flaherty (7) for J O'Brien (40); David Nealon (6) for E Grace (40).

Referee: John O’Halloran (Limerick).