Oldcastle 3-08 Ballinlough 0-11

It was a beautiful evening for football in Millbrook, but with the setting sun, the temperatures plummeted from nearly balmy to pure Baltic.

Oldcastle had a great start, with a lovely free from Ryan Kevin. The kickout found Tom Lynch, on via Kyle Kavanagh to Conor Delaney, on again to Paddy Rahill who send a long sideways ball in to Ryan Kevin, who found Louis Colleran in the perfect position to send her to the back of the net. It was a super Paddy Rahill catch soon after that found Conor Delaney, a good run from Ryan Halpin, on to Stephen Tierney and finally to Brian Hetherton who sent her long and low and over the keepers’ head to the back of the net! It was the ten-minute mark when Ballinlough got their first point, followed by a wide, then another point. Darren Hawdon was putting in the tackles and Ciaran Connell covering every inch of his half, with Conor Delaney putting in a great performance at midfield. Kyle Kavanagh added on a super point for Oldcastle, Ryan Kevin converting soon after. Oldcastle lost momentum in the final 10 minutes of the half, sending balls AWOL and shooting anywhere but between the posts, with Ballinlough adding on two more frees to leave the half-time score Oldcastle 2-03, Ballinlough 0-04. 

The resumption saw Robbie Smith take to the field for the first time in years, after a long spell out with injury, and he threw himself in the match. Stephen Tierney was first on the board for Oldcastle, Ballinlough then adding one. A shocking tackle on Robbie Smith saw Ryan Kevin convert the free. The Oldcastle defence were working great; keeping the lads in red and white out time and again. A great clearance from Tom Lynch found Paddy Rahill, on to Ciaran Connell, to Robbie Smith and in to Rory Crawley for a super goal! Oldcastle were three goals ahead now; Ballinlough clawing back one with a free. A great catch and point from Tierney, before Ballinlough added on four unanswered points to reduce their deficit. Oldcastle battled back though, Sean Maxwell to Rory Crawley, on via Ben Grey, to Louis Colleran, Paddy Rahill, back to Sean, to Paddy Gilsenan and finally to Sean again who sailed her over the bar. Time was ticking away for Ballinlough though, and with a final point from Oldcastle’s Garrett O’Reilly and one more from Ballinlough, when the referee blew the final whistle it was on a score of Oldcastle 3-08, Ballinlough 0-11. 

Oldcastle: Rian Mulvanny, Lloyd Colleran, Cian McPartland, Ciaran Connell, Fionn McCabe, Tom Lynch, Brian Hetherton (1-00), Conor Delaney, Louis Colleran (1-00), Kyle Kavanagh (0-01), Paddy Rahill, Darren Hawdon, Stephen Tierney (0-02), Ryan Halpin, Ryan Kevin (0-03). Subs: Robbie Smith, Rory Crawley (1-00), Paddy Gilsenan, Ben Grey, Garrett O’Reilly (0-01), Cillian Connell, Sean Maxwell (0-01), Ronan Halpin. 

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