Passage preserve senior status as Ferrybank go down fighting
Passage's Sean Kelly scores his sides only goal of the game in the first half in their crucial JJ Kavanagh & Sons Co. Senior hurling championship clash with Ferrybank at Azzurri Walsh Park. Photos: Noel Browne
Passage survived a scare amidst a ferocious fight from Ferrybank to preserve senior status at their expense, condemning Paul Martin’s men to the premier intermediate ranks for 2027.
A flurry of six unanswered scores in the second period proved crucial for Passage, as did moving Mark Fitzgerald to centre forward - the Waterford star firing 0-4 from play after the break to help his side over the line.
Ferrybank needed to win on the night and couldn’t have made a better start. Mark O’Brien opened the scoring with a fine free against the breeze after a minute and a half, before the underdogs struck for the opening goal with just 3 minutes on the clock.
An O’Brien strike dropped short but it wasn’t dealt with by Passage goalkeeper Eddy Lynch, and who better to have on hand than the outstanding Ruaidhrí McGarrity who was left with an open net to blaze home.
The Ferrybank marksman was quickly on hand to add a point as the scoreboard led 1-2 to nil, and McGarrity was causing the world of problems for Passage as Lynch just about cut out another delivery he was primed for.
Passage finally got going through a Tom Carey free on 7 minutes, and they were level within minutes. On 9 minutes, youngsters Rory Jacob and Sean Kelly combined - Jacob playing an inch-perfect across goal toward Kelly on the left side, and he drove the sliotar past Cormac O’Driscoll to the bottom right corner to make it a one-point affair.
A Carey free made it honours even, but Ferrybank looked a better side than previous outings as Conor Haley turned on a sixpence to split the posts, before the sliotar again broke to McGarrity as they restored a two-point cushion.
Carey kept the scoreboard ticking at the other end through two placed balls, and was narrowly denied a goal of his own on 24 minutes having been teed up by Dale Cullinane - but Stephen O’Kane was on hand to make a miraculous block.
O’Brien (2) and Carey again exchanged frees as Ferrybank narrowly shaded it, before a superb catch and strike from Liam Flynn made it 1-6 apiece going into added time.
Passage would’ve been kicking themselves with 8 first half wides, however a well-taken point from the acutest of angles from Jacob ensured they would still lead by the minimum at the interval.
Ferrybank came out firing straight after the break, reeling off three scores in quick succession - O’Brien twice using the breeze to slot over from placed balls, before the industrious Sean Adeyemi found Caolán MacCathmhaoil and he found the target to further rally the troops.
The Passage response was both impressive and crucial in equal measure, firing six on the spin between the 38th and 44th minute to seize momentum.
Fitzgerald played in Kelly toward goal but he opted for the point to kickstart the burst, before a free from Carey levelled the game for the sixth time and Fitzgerald gave them a lead they would never again relinquish with a beauty on the left flank on 40 minutes.
Flynn then kept the sliotar alive for Fitzgerald to apply the finish, before Kelly showed well to score another and Carey added to his tally.
A monstrous strike from O’Brien kept Ferrybank on their coattails, but it was only still a game by this point thanks to the heroic interventions of O’Driscoll on 46 minutes.
The Ferrybank goalkeeper was first on hand to deny Jacob at the near post, before Dale Cullinane recycled to Fitzgerald whose effort was also blocked. A certain goal presented itself to Flynn - but at point-blank range, O’Driscoll again was somehow equal to turn away the danger.
Fitzgerald weaved through to score another before Carey added his eighth of the evening. Passage looked in cruise control going down the home straight, but two O’Brien frees kept them biting their nails - and it would’ve been worse had Eddy Lynch not been on hand to deny his goalbound strike on 56 minutes.
Substitute Jason Roche teed up Fitzgerald for his fourth with his first touch, before an O’Brien free was smothered off the line at the other end as four added minutes were called.
O’Brien pulled another strike wide as the ship seemed to have sailed for Ferrybank, before Roche added the insurance score for Passage.
There was still time for drama as McGarrity was hauled down late on, allowing O’Brien to bury a 64th-minute penalty - but it was too little too late for Ferrybank.
The full-time whistle sounded relegation for them having won just 2 of their 17 senior games since promotion, while Passage were left to see if All-Ireland champions Ballygunner could beat Clonea - which would guarantee their progress to the quarter-finals for the third year running.
Tom Carey (0-8; 0-7f); Sean Kelly (1-2); Mark Fitzgerald (0-4); Liam Flynn, Rory Jacob and Jason Roche (0-1 each)
Mark O’Brien (1-8; 1-0 pen; 0-7f); Ruaidhrí McGarrity (1-2); Conor Haley and Caolán Mac Cathmhaoil (0-1 each)
Eddy Lynch; Eoghan Power, Callum O’Neill, Eoin Walsh; Pa Walsh, Gary Cullinane, Conor Drohan; Mark Fitzgerald, Sean Cullinane; Kevin Cullinane, Liam Flynn, Tom Carey; Rory Jacob, Dale Cullinane, Sean Kelly.
Brian Cullinane for Conor Drohan (HT); Jason Roche for Dale Cullinane (59)
Cormac O’Driscoll; Stephen O’Kane, Naoise Mac Cathmhaoil, Izzack Richards; Sean Adeyemi, Ryan Tierney, Cormac Heffernan; Neil O’Sullivan, Caolán Mac Cathmhaoil; Luke Flynn, Robbie Carew, Fionn McGarrity; Ruaidhrí McGarrity, Mark O’Brien, Conor Haley.
Harry Flanagan for Neil O’Sullivan (31; inj); Jay Bagge for Conor Haley (45); Daryl Griffin for Fionn McGarrity (52); Shane Oates for Luke Flynn (52); Lochlann Flanagan for Izzack Richards (59)
Nicky O’Toole (Mount Sion)
