Oldcastle 1-14 Ballinlough 1-10

It was a beautiful sunny morning in Moylagh as the Oldcastle and Ballinlough teams lined out for the Intermediate relegation play-off. At stake obviously was a guaranteed spot in Intermediate again next year, but more than that: pride in not going down to the neighbours. Oldcastle had a super start with points from Colin Hawdon, Pearse Sheridan and Jason Scully on the scoreboard within five minutes. The hardworking Ger Reidy got the next ball onwards by way of Dylan Garrigan, to Steven Lawless, Oran O’Reilly, back to Dylan, to Ross Cadden, Darren Hawdon, in to Barry Curran making a good run, he tipped it nicely to the waiting CJ Healy who smashed it to the back of the next for a goal. The next point was also CJ’s, Pearse Sheridan then adding another before Ballinlough got on the scoreboard, thanks to a Harry Ryan free.

Jason Scully was making lots of room for himself up front and taking some great points, while Colin Hawdon was denied an almost certain goal by the Ballinlough keeper, the momentum of the shot saw it keep going over for a point. Ballinlough took a point from play at one stage, with the rest of their scores all from frees: at the end of the first half the score was Oldcastle 1-09, Ballinlough 0-05.

Oldcastle got the second-half off to a great start with a beautiful point from Paddy Rahill. Ballinlough came back with a well worked attack, and were unlucky not to get a goal, with the resultant 45 away and to the side. Jason Scully added another to his tally, Ballinlough attacked again but were thwarted by Cian McPartland. Harry Ryan added two more frees for the opposition, and they upped the tempo, wave after wave of attacks but not capitalising on them. Oldcastle were reduced as both Paddy Rahill and Dylan Garrigan got shown black cards, but the other lads took the strain and kept the show on the road. Oldcastle were seven ahead at one stage but Ballinlough finally got a gaol, reducing it to a four point match. An injury to Oldcastle keeper Packie Kevin saw him replaced by Stephen Tierney: with time ticking away Ballinlough kept the pressure on but the Oldcastle lads held steady. Darragh Caffrey was fouled in front of the Oldcastle goals and Harry Ryan converted the free, but Tierney’s kickout found it’s way upfield to Oran Mulvanny who slotted it over for the last score of the match, the referee blowing the whistle on a final score of Oldcastle 1-14, Ballinlough 1-10.

A great feeling of relief and optimism for next year prevailed, with Leo McEnroe thanking all the lads for their hard work and commitment, and always focussing on onwards and upwards. Best of luck also to Ballinlough in their next relegation match, hopefully you’ll get the win and we’ll meet again next year:

Oldcastle: Packie Kevin, Barry Curran, Cian McPartland, Steven Lawless, Oran O’Reilly, Paddy Rahill (0-01), Dylan Garrigan (0-01), Ross Cadden, Ger Reidy, Darren Hawdon, Ronan Maguire (0-01), Pearse Sheridan (0-02) C.J. Healy (1-01), Jason Scully (0-04), Colin Hawdon (0-03). Subs: Paddy Gilsenan, Oran Mulvanny (0-01), Conor Hetherton, Stephen Tierney. 

Ballinlough Report

Ballinlough 1-10   Oldcastle    1-14

Ballinlough and Oldcastle met in this Intermediate Relegation game, two teams that would have had notions of competing seriously for Championship honours as opposed to facing a relegation play-off, but with such a peculiar year it’s been that’s exactly the situation they both found themselves in with a poor run of results for both sides.

Oldcastle were gifted the freedom of the Park in the opening 15 minutes putting 1-06 on the scoreboard before Ballinlough were able to get their first point, a free from Harry Ryan following a foul on Ronzer McGuinness. Indeed the Lough should have been much closer on the scoreboard only for their attacking play to repeatedly break down due to unforced errors and not executing the simple passes effectively. 

Another Oldcastle point in the 18th minute pushed out their lead to 9 points again before Harry Ryan added his second free, this time Lorcan Maguire being hit late by his Oldcastle counterpart.

Ballinlough had a glorious goal chance in the 22nd minute when the ball was worked well up the field but Robbie Farrells pass to Simon Deevey was just inches away from the big mans fingertips and Oldcastle came away with the ball, and in what should have been a Ballinlough goal, turned into another point at the other end.

Lorcan Maguire kicked Ballinlough’s only point from play in the 25th minute after good work by Ronzer and Deevey, but again from the restart Oldcastle came down the field at pace and were in on goal, only for the reflexes of Rasher Muldoon, who’s block with his leg saw the ball ricocheted up and over the bar.

Harry Ryan tapped over another Ballinlough free, this time Fergal Gibney the victim and Ryan was to be accurate again in the 30th minute after Peader Byrne was hauled to the ground in another rugby style tackle. 

That left Ballinlough in a much better position but still seven points down on a scoreline of Ballinlough 0-05 to Oldcastle 1-09 going in at half time.

From the restart Oldcastle tagged on another point from play, before Fergal Gibney had a goal chance at the other end in the 35th minute. Another Oldcastle point pushed their lead back to nine points, with Ballinlough having yet another goal chance going astray when substitute Junior O’Reilly played a teasing ball across the goal mouth and Tommy McCullen just couldn’t get enough on it to direct the ball towards the net.

Oldcastle were to lose another man to a black card in the 45th minute when Paddy Rahill was sent to the line for ten minutes as his tackle on Peader Byrne was high. From that foul Harry Ryan sent the ball over the bar and he was accurate again in the 45th minute with another well taken free.

Oldcastle kept their own scoreboard ticking over with two points, one from play, and then the first advanced mark of the game by Jason Scully in the 51st minute. Harry Ryan kept up his scoring ways with a superb point from range and at a difficult angle a moment later to add to his overall haul. Oldcastle lost yet another man to a black card in the 53rd minute, Fergal Gibney being dragged to the ground needlessly in his own half of the field. From that free the ball was worked well up the field, and led to another Oldcastle foul, this time within Harry Ryan's range and he made no mistake sending the ball over the bar to lower the deficit to seven again.

With all the goal chances squandered by Ballinlough it was inevitable that they would eventually make one stick, and that’s exactly what they did with Tommy McCullen carrying out great work and feeding the ball to Harry Ryan. Ryan to his credit copped the movement of Deevey inside him and once Simon got possession there was only one place the ball was going, as he powered through keeper and all to bundle the ball to the net to give Ballinlough a fighting chance with little time left on the clock but only four points between the teams.

Ballinlough had plenty of chances to get those necessary points but poor shot selection saw them wasteful in attack with Podge Muldoon, Tommy McCullen, Rasher Muldoon and Harry Ryan all going wide of the posts late on.

Harry Ryan did add his ninth free of the afternoon in the 63rd minute leaving it a three point game but when the men in red needed the ball most, it was the boys in blue who came away with possession and added the insurance point in the 64th minute, and with that referee Joey Curley called for the ball and blew the full time whistle leaving Oldcastle the victors on a scoreline of Ballinlough 1-10 to Oldcastle 1-14.

While that win secures Intermediate status for Oldcastle for another year, next up for Ballinlough is a critical game v St.Pats in a little under two weeks time. 

Ballinlough: D.Muldoon, B.Smith, P.Muldoon, R.Farrell, D.Caffrey, M.Geraghty, C.Fleming, M.McCullen, T.McCullen, F.Gibney, L.Maguire (0-01), H.Ryan (0-09(9f), S.Geraghty, S.Deevey (1-00), R.McGuinness. Subs: P.Byrne for R.Farrell 24mins, J.O’Reilly for C.Fleming 36mins

Referee: Joey Curley

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