Ballinlough 1-02-10 (17) Longwood 3-02-11 (24)

Ballinlough made the early morning trip to Longwood for Round 10 of the Division 4 League and with one side safe in the group and the other needing a victory to stay up perhaps that goes someway to explaining the difference in intensity and drive between the two sides this morning.

Ballinlough started the game brightly with lots of possession in the opening period, but a couple of balls were dropped short into the Keepers arms, before an early goal chance went abegging when Eoin Briody and Brandon Brunton combined well but the final effort went astray.

Harry Ryan finally opened the scoring with a point from play in the fourth minute but from that point it was Longwood who took control of proceedings with a pointed free in the sixth minute.

That score was followed up by a blitz of scoring between the ninth and 13th minute for the home side as they added a two point free, two goals in quick succession, a further point from play and a free by the 13th minute… ten points in five minutes that turned this game on its head.

Ballinlough were very sluggish in this opening period but they did add their second point from a Tom Shine free in the 18th minute, before Harry Ryan added his second score of the morning after great running from Charlie and Shane Lynch.

An Oisin McDermott converted 45’ in the 20th minute reduced the deficit to seven points and it was lessened further when Jack Connell won a kickout sending the ball forward to Tom Shine, who added a two pointer from play at the third time of asking and there were five points between the sides with 25 minutes gone.

If Ballinlough had of kept up that momentum the scoreline might have looked different at half time but they allowed Longwood take a foothold once more and they added three points in as many minutes, the last of which for a breach of the 3v3 rule, to leave eight between the teams in the 28th minute.

There was a glimmer of hope for the visitors just before the break as Shane Lynch showed his potential with an excellent two pointer from play in the 30th minute.

So when Referee Declan Leech blew the half time whistle Ballinlough trailed on a scoreline of 0-08 to Longwoods 2-08.

Upon the restart early scores were traded with Darren O’Higgins accurate for Ballinlough before Longwood pointed again in the 35th minute to leave seven between the sides.

Ballinlough could have got themselves back into this game with a super goal chance in the 36th minute when Shane Lynch took a quick sideline ball into Jack Connell and despite him rounding the keeper, he was unable to keep his shot on target and hit the side netting!

In contrast two minutes later a fumble from Ballinlough keeper Senan McDermott allowed Longwood a goal chance, and while it looked like Senan may have been fouled on his way out after re-collecting possession, the Referee gave nothing, and Longwood finished to the net for the third time of the morning and the gap was back to ten minutes.

Ballinlough responded well with points from Tom Shine, Eoin Briody and a Harry Ryan free in the 40th minute to keep them ticking over, but like before Longwood hit back with a two point free, a singular free and a point from play by the 47th minute to restore their lead.

Despite the scoreline Ballinlough did keep plugging away and added a Tom Shine free in the 51st minute, before Daire Shine added a penalty goal four minutes later and a pointed free in the 61st minute but it was to be too little too late as Longwood ran out winners on a scoreline of of 3-15 to Ballinloughs 1-14.

Ballinlough Team: Senan McDermott, Conor Rennicks, Charlie Lynch, Louis Finnegan, Conor Fleming, Oisin McDermott (0-01(one 45’)), Seán Geraghty, Eoin Briody (0-01), Mark McCullen, Darren O’Higgins (0-01), Harry Ryan (0-03 (1f)), Jack Connell, Tom Shine (0-05 (2f, one 2pt)), Brandon Brunton, Shane Lynch( 0-02 (one 2pt))

Subs: Daire Shine (1-01(one pen, 1f)) for B.Brunton 34’, Luke Harte for J.Connell 41’, Robert O’Brien for C.Fleming 45’, Dan O’Brien for H.Ryan 45’

Referee: Declan Leech

Niall McDonnell for E.Briody 55’

Tweet

Most Read Stories