Ballinlough 5-14  Na Fianna 3-09

Ballinlough welcomed Na Fianna to Kilskyre this evening and the visitors would have felt right at home with their familiar black and amber colours adorning the place, and it was to be Na Fianna who took the first score in the opening minute with a point from play.

Séan Tunney got Ballinlough off the mark in the fourth minute with a left footed free, before Jamie Casserly scored a now customary goal, receiving the ball from a Harry Ryan pass and powering past several defenders to calmly finish to the net. He added a point from play a moment later to leave the home side 1-02 to 0-01 after ten minutes of football. 

Na Fianna got their second point in the 12th minute from a free, before Jamie Casserly again sent the ball over the bar from open play. From the restart of that score, Séan Tunney took an excellent mark and laid the ball off to the younger Casserly, Brían, and he slotted the ball over the bar with ease. Harry Ryan got himself on the scoreboard in the 17th minute with a pointed free, before Séan Tunney was the provider once again, this time setting up Tom Shine to push Ballinlough’s lead out further. 

Harry Ryan scored an excellent point from play in the 21st minute, before Na Fianna finally got scoring again with a pointed free, their first score in almost fifteen minutes. But just when you thought they might begin to make a game of this Ballinlough rattled the net once again in the 29th minute when Kit Óg Lynch got on the end of a lovely pass, after some Trojan work by Eoin Briody in the centre of the field. Na Fianna did kick the last score of the half on the stroke of 30 minutes, but it was Ballinlough who went in at the break on a commanding lead of 2-07 to 0-04.

Ballinlough started the second half as efficiently as they ended the first when Daire Shine added his name to the ever expanding score sheet, with a well taken goal in the 32nd minute. Na Fianna were to go on to take the next two scores, both from play to try and remain within a decent distance of Ballinlough’s lead, but there was to be no let up from the home sides attack as Jamie Casserly kicked his second point of the evening in the 35th minute. 

Harry Ryan added another from play in the 38th minute, before Jamie kicked another effort from play seconds later. Not impressed with his brothers haul, Brían Casserly found himself on the end of a Harry Ryan pass and made no mistake finishing to the net to further extend Ballinlough’s lead to 16 points with 40 minutes played.

Na Fianna got their third point of the half from play in the 41st minute but it was only to be a light reprieve as Daire Shine powered through with the next ball, and although he had Harry Ryan and Brían Casserly free inside him, Shine backed himself and took his second goal just as well as his first. He followed that up with a point in the 44rd minute, before Séan Tunney kicked a super Point from play. 

Perhaps feeling they had their work done for the evening, Ballinlough took the foot off the gas going into the final ten minutes of the game and in the process they were out-scored 3-02 to 0-02 points, with Na Fianna’s goals all coming in a four minute window between the 52nd and 56th minute, while Harry Ryan was the only man to keep Ballinlough’s Score ticking over with pointed frees in the 54th and 59th minute.

Na Fianna were to take the last score of the game just as the clock entered 60 minutes with a fine effort from play, but it was to be the men in red who still held a commanding lead when Referee Patrick Clarke blew the full time whistle, with the Lough leading on a scoreline of 5-14 to 3-09.

Although they didn’t get themselves on the scoreboard special mention has to be given to Eoin Briody and Jack Connell who were immense covering every blade of grass between them and were central to nearly every Ballinlough attack, and also our defence in particular Stan Ryan and Ben Jordan who were regularly out in front of their men and minding the house. 

Manager Lorcan Maguire will be disappointed with the concession of three late goals, but that just shows although we put up a massive score, there is always work to be done and he will be keen to turn this excellent 50 minute performance into a 60 minute one. But credit to the lads, they put in the hard work early on and took some great scores, and can now head into Round 2 with a win under their belt. 

Next up is an away game v St.Peters Dunboyne in two weeks on August 28th.

Ballinlough: M.Farrelly, S.Ryan, B.Jordan, T.Shine, J.Connell, H.Briody, H.Ryan(0-05,(4f), E.Briody, J.Casserly(1-04), S.Tunney(0-02), B.Casserly(1-01), K.Óg.Lynch(1-01), T.Garry, D.Shine(2-01), J.Ryan, S.Rooney, J.McDonnell

Referee: Patrick Clarke

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