By Liam Doran of "The Gorey Guardian"
See the Team Sheet here
The celebrations of the Ballygarrett Faithful at the final whistle said it all, as the Gorey District club put an end to years of heartbreak by overcoming a disappointing Our Lady's Island outfit to collect their first-ever Wall Scaffolding Junior Hurling championship at Wexford Park on Saturday October 2nd 2004.
Bitter memories of their poor display in the 2003 final against Bannow-Ballymitty and this year's earlier championship defeat to this year's opponents (3-12 to 4-3) had finally been banished thanks to a determined performance.
Undoubtedly the winning of the game was their dominance in the latter stages of the first-half, as they opened up a commanding 0-10 to 0-4 lead. Although it was a good all-round team performance by the winners, man of the match Leighton Gleeson earned most of the plaudits by displaying unerring accuracy from placed balls which set Ballygarrett on their way to victory.
He hit seven crucial frees from a variety of distances and angles, and added a brilliant effort from play in the 10th minute. He also stopped influential Island centre-back Keith Rooney from making his mark on the game.
Aside from Gleeson, corner-back Michael Kinsella delivered a tigerish performance, curbing the threat of Island danger man Adrian Meyler. Seamus Byrne, a survivor from their 1990 final defeat had an inspirational second-half, repeatedly driving out of defence as Our Lady's Island threatened to pull back the deficit.
Centre-back Stephen Redmond also became more prominent in that second period, while Mark Doyle and Pat Naughter worked hard on the flanks. Eddie Redmond also caught the eye in attack, scoring two superb points.
Ballygarrett Captain John Casey won the toss and elected to play with a stiff breeze into the town end in the opening half. The first score arrived in the eighth minute when John Walsh tapped over a close range free for Our Lady's Island after a foul on Keith Parrock. Leighton Gleeson (free) registered his opener a minute later, before winning Noel Dempsey's mishit puckout and scoring a sublime point on the run. There was little to choose between the sides at these early stages as Walsh (free) and Eddie Redmond with a good effort swapped points.
Ballygarrett full-back Eddie lawless was penalised for the third time, and Walsh again tapped over to equalise after 16 minutes (0-3 each). Ballygarrett then took control of the second quarter by scoring seven unanswered points between the 19th and 29th minutes.
The peerless Gleeson capitalised on persistent Our Lady's Island fouling to fire over three in just two minutes, all from around the 45-metre line (0-6 to 0-3). He registered his fourth on the trot in the 24th minute, before Brendan Casey slipped over a nice point to extend Ballygarrett's lead to five. A minute earlier Island's corner-back had got in a vital block on Gleeson as he prepared to shoot for goal from the edge of the square. Our Lady's Island were struggling to get the ball past midfield at this stage and after Mark Doyle had earned his third free, Gleeson popped over his seventh point.
Eddie Redmond hit a sweet point after a jinking run in the 29th minute, before Our Lady's Island finally exerted some late pressure on the Ballygarrett goal. Adrian Meyler sent in a dipping ball which Keith Parrock almost got on the end of, but Michael Kinsella cleared after a goalmouth scramble.
Meyler then flicked over what proved to be the Island's only point from play in the entire game to leave Ballygarrett leading 0-10 to 0-4 at half-time. After both sides had swapped early second half wides, Pat Naughter was upended after a blistering run along the touchline. Up stepped that man Gleeson again to hit his best score of the gane into a stiff wind from an acute angle.
The play began tp get a little scrappy for the next ten minutes or so as Our Lady's Island tried in vain to reduce the deficit. The Ballygarrett goal did lead a charmed existence for a brief spell as Adrian Meyler kicked agonisingly across goal after a good run. Within minutes Keith Wallace almost got free inside following a good move, but he couldn't control at a crucial stage.
John Walsh added three more points from placed ballse between the 44th and 50th minutes, to briefly resurrect the Island's hopes (0-11 to 0-7). However, Mark Doyle and substitute Paul Wafer both set up by Pat Naughter, added points within a minute of each other to increase Ballygarrett's advantage to six with just eight minutes left.
A long ball into the Ballygarrett goalmouth caused some panic as metminder Diarmuid Dunbar almost lost the ball under pressure from Meyler, but the danger was quickly averted by a defiant winners' rearguard.
Once again Walsh pulled back a brace of points from frees in the 57th and 58th minutes (0-13 to 0-9), but Pat Naughter's last minute point, after a great move involving Gleeson and Wafer, sealed a famous win for Larry Doyle's side. Wafer almost plundered a Ballygarrett goal in injury time but was denied by an excellent save from Noel Dempsey.
It took what appeared like an age for the presentations to be made as the Ballygarrett players were swamped by their adoring fans at the end of the game. However, after several pleas by County Chairman Seán Quirke had fallen on deaf ears, captain John Casey finally found his way up to the podium to accept the cup amid great scenes of jubilation.
There was no surprise when Leighton Gleeson collected the man of the match award from Liam Roche on behalf of Wall Scaffolding, while hard working Our Lady's Island midfielder Gary Walsh won the best player award for the losing side.