Ballinlough 0-08 St.Patrick’s 0-14

Ballinlough and St.Pats made the trip to a glorious Senechalstown this afternoon to play out the first of the Intermediate Championship Relegation Play-Offs.

The game was preceded by a minutes silence in memory of Ballinlough Club-man Brendan Smith who sadly passed away earlier in the week, and when the game got underway early scores were traded, with Colm Mallen accurate from a free for Ballinlough while Pats also converted their first free effort, before adding a second point from play in the opening minutes.

Jamie Casserly was accurate from play for Ballinlough in the sixth minute before Pats took the lead again with a point from play in the 12th minute and that was to be the final score of the quarter with St.Pats leading 0-03 to Ballinlough’s 0-02 when Referee Paddy Clarke blew for the first water break.

When play resumed everything that could go against Ballinlough did so, with every breaking ball falling into a St.Pats mans hands and on the rare occasions Ballinlough did secure possession they were wasteful with mistimed passes and committing unforced errors to allow Pats build upon their lead, which they duly did sending over five unanswered points to leave themselves with a much healthier advantage at the half-time whistle, leading on a scoreline of 0-08 to Ballinlough’s 0-02.

Having being reduced to 14 men after losing Declan Galligan to a black card just before half-time, Ballinlough had it all to do in the second half, but they started brightly and were almost in for a goal chance but eventually Jamie Casserly had to settle for sending the ball over the bar instead. Two more St.Pats points pushed out their lead, before Benji Smith, who it must be said showed enormous mental strength taking to the field just a day after burying his father, fittingly got his name on the scoresheet with a fine point from play in the 44th minute. Lorcan Maguire added a pointed free a moment later to lower the deficit but at the second water break St.Pats still led 0-10 to Ballinlough’s 0-05.

When the final quarter started St.Patrick’s added two quick points before Seanie Geraghty, who’s strong running created panic in the St.Pats defence every time he strode forward with the ball, added a point from play. It was those runs of Geraghty’s that allowed Ballinlough to create plenty of scoring opportunities but perhaps because of the pressure of chasing a goal, they repeatedly were thwarted by the Pats defence, when maybe tapping the ball over the bar would have being the more sensible option.

St.Patrick’s were definitely finding their scores easier to come by when they broke forward and they tagged on another point in the 52nd minute, before being denied a certain goal only for the reflexes of Senan McDermott in the Ballinlough net. To the credit of the Ballinlough players they didn’t give up, with Declan Galligan claiming the first advanced Mark point of the day in the 53rd minute, before Mick Geraghty, operating at full back sent over a massive point seconds later to leave five between them again. The final score of the game came with an advanced mark for St.Pats in the 55th minutes and while Ballinlough were through on goal several times towards the end, a couple of goal-line clearances ensured there was not going to be a miraculous comeback and grandstand finish to this game so when Referree Paddy Clarke blew the whistle for the last time the scoreboard read St.Patrick’s 0-14, Ballinlough 0-08.

This result means we have exited the Intermediate Championship and will now ply our trade in the Junior Championship for the first time in 33 years. Results earlier in the year just didn’t go our way and in several instances it was the finest of margins between winning and losing but ultimately we came up short when it mattered most. No doubt there will be abit of soul-searching and difficult decisions to be made from the lads in the coming months but I’ve no doubt that in time they will regroup and come back from this defeat in a better and stronger frame of mind to give 2022 a real good crack.

Ballinlough: S.McDermott, R.Farrell, M.Geraghty (0-01), D.Caffrey, L.Maguire (0-01(1f)), C.Mallen (0-01(1f)), C.Rennicks, T.McCullen, D.Galligan (0-01(1 Adv.Mk)), F.Gibney, J.Casserly (0-02), B.Smith (0-01), S.Deevey, M.McCullen, S.Geraghty (0-01)

Subs: R.McGuinness for S.Deevey 38’, P.Muldoon for J.Casserly 46’, H.Briody for F.Gibney 47’

Referee: Patrick Clarke

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