Trim 3-8  Ballinabrackey 1-9

Trim made a winning start to the 2025 football season when they defeated a robust Ballinabrackey team in Trim on Saturday 8th February on a scoreline of 3-8 to 1-9 in the first round of the Feis Cup. This was always going to be a tightly fought contest because of the history between the two clubs and the added spice that the Ballinabrackey manager is former Trim manager Ciaran Giblin.

The first half was a dour low scoring affair  which saw Trim dominate possession but fail to put scores on the board and Ballinabrackey converting their meagre possession into a 1-2 to 0-4 lead at half time. Their first score, a point, came in the 8th minute in response to an earlier pointed free from Tom Carmody.

Trim added a further two points in the next four minutes, one from man of the match Harry Purcell after he latched on to a breaking ball. Daire Lynch took the third point in fine style in the 13th minute before the Bracks responded with their second in the 15th minute. 

Trim dominated the next fifteen minutes but only managed to convert it into one point scored by Tom Carmody from a close in free. They missed several easy scoring opportunities in this period and some great moves came to naught when their passing movements ended with a misplaced pass or a dropped ball. They paid a price for all this when Ballinabrackey broke in the 30th minute and scored a very well taken goal which saw them take the lead for the first time in the match and against the run of play.

Half time score: Trim 0-4  Ballinabrackey 1-2

Trim’s intent was shown early in the second half when Conor Quigley dispossessed his counterpart in a robust tackle from the throw in. However, it was Ballinabrackey that scored first in the second half with two great points in two attacks in the first 3 minutes. Trim responded with a Tom Carmody pointed free after 6 minutes and this was cancelled out by a further Bracks point in the 8th minute. Tom Carmody again reduced the deficit with a pointed free.

Harry Purcell inspired Trim with a great goal in the 11th minute which rattled the Bracks and put Trim back in the lead. Ballinabrackey quickly levelled with a well taken point. The next seven minutes decided the match when Ballinabrackey lost a man to a black card and Trim scored a second goal through David Lernihan. They could have no complaints about the black card as it was one of three incidents which should have led to the dismissal of one of their players.

Trim cruised through the next 15 minutes when Ballinabrackey added two points. Trim put the issue beyond doubt in the 28th minute with a really well taken “team” goal, the final leg of which saw Harry Purcell, Tom Carmody combine with David Lernihan to score. The sides swopped “two pointers” before the referee sounded his final whistle.

This was a good start for Trim. They showed good character and stuck to their task despite some poor finishing. While they showed signs of early season “rustiness” with numerous bad passes there can be no doubt their level of fitness is very good for this time of year.  

Trim panel: Sean Fitzgerald, Conor McGinley, Jack McGowan, Declan Dowling, Mark Molloy, Gerry Dwane, Mark Murray, Tadhg Carty, Conor Quigley, Harry Purcell, Daire Lynch, Patrick Quigley, Tom Carmody, David Lernihan, Sean Foley, Ian Birmingham, Brian Bolger, Mark Dempsey and Cian Downes

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