Ballinlough 0-10 St.Michaels 0-11

St.Michaels opened the scoring in the second minute before Harry Ryan got Ballinlough up and running with a point from play and a superb free in the fifth minute. However it was St.Michaels who finished the first quarter strongest with two pointed frees and another from play in the 15th minute to leave them leading 0-04 to Ballinlough’s 0-02 when Referee Liam Reddy blew for the first water break.

Upon the resumption St.Michaels extended their lead with two more pointed frees from former forward turned goalkeeper Ciarán Lynch. Ballinlough were reduced to 14 men when Mark McCullen received a black card in the 21st minute for an off the ball incident which the linesman brought to the referees attention, but St.Michaels didn’t hold the numerical advantage for long as wing back Sam Briody soon received his marching orders when already on a yellow card, he went in with a very dangerous tackle on Séanie Geraghty leaving the referee very little option but to issue a second yellow and thus a red in the 24th minute.

Harry Ryan added another point in the 25th minute to lower the deficit and further points from Seanie Geraghty and Collie Mallen ensured there was just a single point between the sides when the Referee blew for half time, St.Michaels leading on a score on 0-06 to Ballinlough’s 0-05.

When the game restarted and with Ballinlough restored to 15 men again you’d be forgiven for thinking we might take the game to St.Michaels but while lots of in-roads were made the issue of putting the ball over the bar was looming large for the Ballinlough men, with numerous wide balls adding to the growing frustration. Eventually Harry Ryan made one stick with a pointed free in the 41st minute but St.Michaels hit back with two quick points from play to give themselves a two point lead at the second water break, leading 0-08 to 0-06.

To be fair to Ballinlough they used the last fifteen minutes to try and close the gap with Seánie Geraghty instrumental to their efforts, kicking points from play in the 46th and 51st minute, but two more St.Michaels points sandwiched in between kept their two point lead. Another Harry Ryan free in the 52nd minute left just one between them and he had a chance to level the sides with another free in the 59th minute but the groans were audible as he saw his effort go wide of the posts.

From the kick-out Ballinlough battled hard to win possession and Mick Geraghty sent over a massive point in the 60th minute to leave nothing between the teams entering the closing stages.

Ballinlough had chances to win it but they just couldn’t get the ball into a score-able position and when St.Michaels overturned possession they sent a long ball in and whether Referee Liam Reddy blew for an advanced mark or a free, either way it didn’t matter as Ciarán Lynch hobbled up the length of the pitch to send the ball over the bar to give St.Michaels a one point lead in the 63rd minute, with the referee calling time seconds later before Ballinlough could launch one last attack, St.Michaels taking the win on the smallest of margins 0-11 to Ballinlough’s 0-10.

The over-riding emotion in the Ballinlough camp must shurly be frustration, between an inability to convert their chances and the under utilisation of the extra man, manager Vincent Ryan will feel this was one we should have won, and although St.Michaels won’t care, they will know they were let off the hook big time today, with both sides needing improvements to have any hope of progressing beyond the group stage of the competition.

Ballinlough: P.Muldoon, D.Caffrey, R.Farrell, C.Rennicks, M.Geraghty(0-01), M.McCullen, L.Maguire, D.Galligan, T.McCullen, S.Geraghty(0-03), H.Ryan(0-05(4f), F.Gibney, J.Casserly, B.Smith, C.Mallen(0-01). Subs: C.Fleming for D.Galligan 41’, R.McGuinness for J.Casserly 45’, P.Byrne for B.Smith 49’

Referee: Liam Reddy

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