Nobber 0-9 Ballivor 4-11

Nobber opened their Intermediate Football Championship campaign on Saturday evening last making the trip to Sean Newman Park, Bohermeen to face Ballivor.

The weather was unpredictable and mixed throughout the day, however it cleared up to be a fine dry evening for championship football. The sun however was not shining on the Nobber men’s side come full-time in what proved a tough evening at the office for the North Meath outfit.

The black and ambers started brightly being the first team to register a white flag, a fine team move resulting in goalkeeper Dary Hutchinson splitting the posts into the Navan end goals after 6 minutes of play. The opening quarter proved a cagey affair with both sides struggling to break the other down. Both sides traded scores with Niall Farrell adding a second for Nobber and after 20 minutes there was nothing separating them (0 – 2 v 0 – 2). Hutchinson and Farrell added two more scores to the scoresheet, however Ballivor took their goal chances well and went into half-time with a healthy lead.

Half-time score – Nobber 0 – 4 (4) Ballivor 2 – 5 (11)

Paddy Bates’ charges returned to the pitch in the second half like a team rejuvenated and determined not to give up on the two points on offer for the win. The black and ambers dominated the third quarter of the game outscoring Ballivor by 5 – 0. It was game on with only 2 points between the sides leading into the final 15 minutes. Wingback Kian Donohoe, championship debutant Conor Owens (2), Dale Larkin, and Joe Tierney all added to Nobber’s tally reducing Ballivor’s lead. The real turning point came when Ballivor managed to raise yet another green flag and increase their lead to 5 points leading into the final stages of the game. To Nobber’s credit they still tried to make a game of it but Ballivor were more clinical on the scoreboard and continued to increase their lead scoring yet another goal and more points to comfortably win in the end.

A disappointing evening for the black and ambers in which a lot of things just didn’t go to plan on the night. Congratulations to both Colin Condra and Conor Owens on making their intermediate football championship debuts and to Karl Casserly returning to championship action after a serious injury. The North Meath men will face Longwood in the second round of the championship on Friday, August 11 at 7:30 PM in the same venue – Sean Newman Park, Bohermeen.

Nobber team – Dary Hutchinson (0 – 2), Seamus Fagan, Eanna Fagan, Barry Cassidy, Kian Donohoe (0 – 1), Niall Farrell (0 – 2), Colin Condra, Thomas Murtagh, Dean Halpin, Conor Owens (0 – 2), Jamie Owens, Barry Bradley, Joe Tierney (0 – 1), Karl Casserly, Dale Larkin (0 – 1).

Subs used – Paddy Clarke, Colin Clarke, Alan Farrell.

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