Ballinlough 2-02-11 (21)

St.Peters Dunboyne 2-02-04 (14)

Ballinlough made the trip to Dunboyne on Sunday morning for Round 6 of the League, and it was the home side who opened the scoring with a point from play in the opening minute.

The visitors had plenty of early chances but they couldn’t convert any of them until Jamie Casserly got his hands on the ball, after Luke Harte won a Dunboyne kick-out and played it to Eoin Briody who sent an excellent ball into Casserly, and he continued his good form from Thursday evening as he finished to the net in the seventh minute.

The sides were soon level when Dunboyne converted a two pointer free aided by the breeze in the ninth minute, and the home side put their noses back in front with a penalty goal in the 12th minute, Alan Gibney doing very well to stop the initial shot but the rebound found its way to the net and Dunboyne led by three.

Ballinlough were thankful for Gibney's Gloves a moment later when he denied another decent goal chance for Dunboyne, and with Ballinlough breaking forward with the ball Dan O’Brien was felled, which allowed Jamie Casserly to fire over Ballinlough's first and only pointed free of the afternoon in the 14th minute.

The next period was marred by poor shooting from Ballinlough as they had plenty of possession but failed to convert their chances, and they were to be punished when a bit of indiscipline from Ballinlough saw a Dunboyne free out the field brought forward 50m and the two point free duly converted to leave Dunboyne leading by four points in the 22nd minute.

Ballinlough finished the half strongly though with Jamie Casserly pointing in the 26th minute before Kit Óg Lynch added his name to the score sheet with a well taken score.

The next Ballinlough score came from one of their standout performers today as Eoin Briody, who covered every blade of grass in defence and attack, got his due reward with a lovely point in the 28th minute.

Briody was soon to turn provider as he collected possession once more and fed Kit Óg Lynch who fired over to level the sides in the 29th minute.

So, when Referee Pat Clarke blew the half time whistle it was all square on a scoreline of 1-05 apiece.

Upon the restart Ballinlough half time substitute Harry Ryan marked his introduction to the game with the best first touch he could have hoped for as he collected possession and fired over a two pointer from play in the 31st minute to put Ballinlough in the lead. 

That score was followed up by a fine score for Jamie Casserly when Kit Óg Lynch and Luke Harte combined well to set Casserly up.

Dunboyne fought back with two points from play in quick succession before a goal in the 41st minute with the attacker just reading the bounce of the ball a fraction quicker than the Ballinlough defender and the ball was fired to the net in the 41st minute to put Dunboyne back in the lead by two points.

Another Dunboyne point in the 43rd minute left three between the sides, and Ballinlough could have wiped that deficit out but substitute Conor Fleming, who was only on the field, saw his goal chance hit the side netting and away from danger.

Ballinlough didn’t worry about that missed chance too much and when the ball was worked to Harry Ryan in the 45th minute, he judged the wind perfectly to send over a beautiful two point score to leave just a point between the sides.

Superb defensive work and forward running from Conor Rennicks allowed Ballinlough to get up the field quickly again and Jamie Casserly added his fourth point in the 50th minute to level the sides once more.

From the kick-out Casserly was alive to the skewed kick from the goal-keeper and he found Dan O’Brien in space who took the keeper away from goal before having a shot , and while there was a block on it, the ball found its way to Harry Ryan who finished to the net from close range to give Ballinlough a three point lead in the 51st minute.

From that score the men in red never looked back as points from Jack Connell and Luke Harte extended the lead to five points by the 54th minute.

Dunboyne did have plenty of the ball in these closing stages but excellent defending from Ballinlough denied them any chances and when the ball was eventually inevitably turned over, Ballinlough broke forward allowing Conor Fleming, after a long injury lay off, to mark his return with a very well taken point in the 61st minute.

The tin hat was put on the performance when a third substitute for Ballinlough, another injury returnee Shane Lynch, pointed with the last kick of the ball in the 63rd minute.

So when Referee Patrick Clarke blew the full time whistle Ballinlough took a deserved victory on a scoreline of 2-15 to St.Peters Dunboyne’s 2-08.

Ballinlough Team: Alan Gibney, Conor Rennicks, Robbie Farrell, Ryan Kellett, Joshua Lynch, Oisin McDermott, Ferghal Gibney, Eoin Briody(0-01), Mark McCullen, Brandon Brunton, Jack Connell(0-01), Luke Harte(0-01), Dan O’Brien, Kit Óg Lynch(0-02), Jamie Casserly(1-04(1f))

Subs: Harry Ryan (1-04(two 2pt)) for B.Brunton H/T, Conor Fleming(0-01) for R.Kellett 43’, Shane Lynch(0-01) for D.O’Brien 57’

Referee: Patrick Clarke

 

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