Ballinlough 2-17  Kilmainham 0-11

There have been no less than 16 Friday’s since Ballinlough played their last Championship game of football, and most of them were basked in glorious sunshine, so wasn’t it fitting that the rain made its return on the same weekend as Championship Football in Meath.

Before the two teams even took to the pitch there was a stand off, with both sets of players wearing red, and both sets having black as an alternative jersey!! So the decision was made that referee Peter Skelly would toss a coin to see who would wear what and it was to be the Kilmainham men who won the toss and lined out in their familiar red whilst the Ballinlough men had to dig out the black and amber of Kilskyre.

The game was then preceded by a minutes silence for Michael Leddy, who tragically passed away earlier in the week, which was impeccably observed by everyone present in a rain soaked Carlanstown.

Ballinlough started this game the sharpest with Mark McCullen accurate from the very first play, before the score was levelled with a Kilmainham free seconds later. Jonnie Reilly added a second Ballinlough point in the 04th minute, before Kilmainham kicked their second score of the half a minute later. Kilmainham pulled a point back from a free to leave it 0-4 to 0-2 after ten minutes.

But Ballinlough kept coming and they got their due reward in the 11th minute when Ronan McGuinness found himself on the end of a well worked Ballinlough move, that involved intricate passing from Benji Smith and Simon Deevey before McGuinness calmly palmed the ball to the net, to leave the ‘Lough one up.

Tommy McCullen nailed a 45’ seconds later, before brother Mark doubled his tally with a fine effort from play.

Ballinlough had another goal chance In the 16th minute but their effort went just wide of the posts, before some great work by Séanie Geraghty freed up Tommy McCullen to tap the ball over the bar. Lorcan Maguire added another fine effort from play, but it was to be Kilmainham who took the next two scores, both from frees to leave the men in red and black trailing by just a goal with thirty minutes gone.

Lorcan Maguire extended Ballinlough’s lead in the 31st minute with a pointed free before Ronan McGuinness was through on goal again before being unceremoniously hauled to the ground, again the referee deeming no further action was required.

Tommy McCullen kicked another super Point in the 33rd minute after some savage defending by the industrious Podge Muldoon to turn the ball over. And then came the turning point in this game when Simon Deevey found himself with only the keeper to beat, he was dragged to the ground by Kilmainham’s full back and referee Peter Skelly had no choice this time to issue the black card and award Ballinlough the penalty. Séan Geraghty, who is better known around the county for his hurling exploits, made no mistake and smashed the ball to the back of the Kilmainham net leaving the ‘Lough in a commanding lead of 2-08 to 0-06 going in for the half time tea.

Although having a commanding lead at half time, Ballinlough Manager Stephen Baxter knew that this game was by no means won, and so he sprung Peader Byrne from the bench during the half time pep-talk. Byrne’s introduction was felt immediately as he scored the opening point of the half after some great work by Benji Smith and Séanie Geraghty. 

Byrne was to score again in the 32nd minute with a free off the ground, struck beautifully like only Peader can. From that score Johnnie Reilly won the restart and played the ball quickly into Benji Smith who tapped the ball over the bar. Peader Byrne hit another free in the 34th minute to leave Ballinlough in a very comfortable position of 2-12 to Kilmainham’s 0-06.

Kilmainham finally got themselves off the mark in the second half with a score from play in the 35th minute, but Ballinlough were not relinquishing their lead and Mick Geraghty put them further ahead in the 38th minute. His brother Séanie got in on the point scoring a moment later, before Kilmainham found a bit of life and kicked the next three scores, two from play and one from a free. 

Ballinlough were then awarded a free in the 55th minute along the sideline on the left hand side, and up stepped Peader Byrne to coax the ball over the bar from the tightest of angles to settle Ballinlough again and keep the scoreboard ticking over. Benji Smith added his second point from play in the 56th minute before another Byrne free, his fifth point in 30 minutes of football. 

Kilmainham were to take the last score of the game in the 63rd minute but it was too little, too late as the Ballinlough men had their work done at that stage and by the time Peter Skelly blew the long whistle, this game was long over as a contest with Ballinlough the victors on a scoreline of 2-17 to 0-11.

There are no easy games in Championship and Kilmainham made Ballinlough work for long periods of the game, but ultimately without their talisman Mickey Newman, the job became routine for Ballinlough in the end as experience and guile saw them over the line with plenty to spare. 

Focus now switches to the other games in this group over the weekend, and in particular Nobber, who we will face in a couple of weeks, but for now Stephen Baxter will be glad of a job well done by his side and go into the next game brimming with confidence. 

Ballinlough scorers: P.Byrne 0-05(4f), S.Geraghty 1-01, T.McCullen 0-03 (one 45’), R.Mcguinness 1-00, M.McCullen, B.Smith, L.Maguire 0-02 each, Johnnie Reilly, M.Geraghty 0-01 each

Ballinlough: D.Muldoon, R.Farrell, P.Muldoon, M.Farrell, S.Geraghty, E.Smith, Johnnie Reilly, L.Maguire, M.Geraghty, M.McCullen, R.McGuinness, D.Cafferry, B.Smith, S.Deevey, T.McCullen

Referee Peter Skelly

 

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