Duleek Bellewstown 3-15 Ballivor 2-11

In a game full of twists and turns, it was Duleek Bellewstown who finally got the better of Ballivor in the Meade Farm Group intermediate football championship in Walterstown on Friday evening. 

It was Ballivor who started the brightest hitting 2 points in the first 4 minutes. Duleek Bellewstown had plenty of the ball but kicked 2 wides and one into the keeper’s hands, before Jamie Crosby settled them down with a free in the 7th minute. 

Ballivor were struggling with their own kick outs as Duleek Bellewstown applied the pressure. Alan Bowden flashed a blistering shot just wide, before a superbly taken goal from Robin Clarke in the 8th minute. John Flood added a point, Cianan Byrne had a goal disallowed before Shane Crosby and Alan Bowden added super points from play. 

The game seemed to be getting away from Ballivor at this stage, but they struck a superbly taken goal in the 17th minute to bring them right back into the game. Johnny McDonnell responded 40 seconds later with a point on the run, but it was Ballivor who kicked the next 3 points of the game to take the lead again in the 21st minute. 

It was end to end stuff with some great football being played by both teams, John Flood brought the game level then gave his team the lead with a free kick after some great build up play. Jamie Crosby converted a free in the 27th minute to give his team a 2 point lead coming close to half time. Ballivor to their credit never lay down and kicked 2 points from play to leave it 1-08 apiece after a pulsating first half!

It was Ballivor who stormed out of the traps in the second half hitting 1-1 in the first 3 minutes. A superbly taken goal giving Ryan Lynch no chance in the Duleek Bellewstown goals. Johnny McDonnell hit a point from play to settle his team down, before 3 points from Jamie Crosby as Duleek Bellewstown started to regain control of the game in the middle of the field.

Referee Patrick Clarke awarded Duleek Bellewstown a penalty in the 10th minute of the second half which was dispatched to the net brilliantly by Shane Crosby. Ballivor hit the next point before a foul on Robin Clarke resulted in a black card, to leave them a man down going into the final quarter. 

Alan Bowden finished to the roof of the net with an unstoppable shot a minute later, Johnny McDonnell added a point before the Ballivor goalkeeper made a superb save to deny Bowden another certain goal. It was all Duleek Bellewstown now. Flood again with 2 points either side of a Ballivor point as Duleek Bellewstown kept the scoreboard ticking over before emptying the bench with 5 minutes left to play. 

Johnny McDonnell would hit the last score of the game as Duleek Bellewstown ran out comfortable winners in the end by 7 points.

Duleek Bellewstown: Ryan Lynch, Sam O’Leary, Kevin McCann, Oisin Miland, Tom Bowden, Robin Clarke (1-0), Cianan Byrne, Shane Crosby(1-1 1pen), Cian Ryan, John Flood(0-5 2f), Jamie Flaherty, Jamie Crosby(0-4 3f), Johnny McDonnell (0-4), Alan Bowden (1-1), Ciaran Flynn

Subs: Dylan Collins for C. Flynn, Kyle Callaghan for T. Bowden, Padraig Howard for J. Flood, Eoghan Heeney for J. Crosby, Chris Woods for S. O’Leary

Tweet

Most Read Stories