ACFL Div 3: End of the line for Ballinlough

Ballinlough's Sean Tunney

Ballinlough 1-00–13 (16) Blackhall Gaels 2-02-07 (17)

Ballinlough and Blackhall Gaels faced off on Sunday morning for the Semi-Final of the Division 3 All County Football Championship with the sun playing ball on a picturesque Ballinlough Park.

The home side started at a blistering pace with possession won from the throw in and Dan O’Brien carrying the ball forward before playing a deft pass into the flying Luke Harte and he fired to the net in the opening minute.

Seconds later and the roles were reversed as Luke Harte got his hands on the ball and located Dan O’Brien who sent it over the bar for the game's opening point.

Ballinlough believed they had got their second goal of the game early on when Dan O’Brien fired to the net from close range following a fumble from the Blackhall Gaels defense, but the Referee ruled the score out for a square ball much to the chagrin of the Ballinlough team and Management who did not feel any infraction had occurred.

A second score from play for O’Brien in the sixth minute put five points between the sides and Dan the Man was to be accurate again in the tenth minute, this time off his right boot, following a great interception from twin brother Robert at the other end of the field.

A Sean Tunney free in the 13th minute extended Ballinlough's lead and they pushed further ahead when a Luke Harte effort dropped short, but quick thinking from Dan O’Brien saw him get a flick of his boot on the ball in the air and sent it over the bar in the 15th minute.

Blackhall Gaels sensed they needed to change something and looked to the bench with club stalwart Tadhg Brosnan coming in and grabbing a goal for the visitors with one of his first touches of the game in the 16th minute.

That score was followed up by two points from play by the 26th minute to bring Blackhall Gaels back into the game, before excellent work from Benji Smith and Mick Geraghty set Sean Tunney up and he settled Ballinlough with a well taken score in the 31st minute.

With a delay for an injury in the first half there was still plenty of time to be played in this opening period and Ballinlough used it well to add two further scores from Dan O’Brien and Sean Tunney, following good work from Jamie Casserly.

Two late Blackhall Gaels frees in added time allowed them to reduce the deficit, so when Referee Simon Heneghan blew the half time whistle Ballinlough led on a scoreline of 1-08 to Blackhall Gaels 1-04.

From the restart Hugh Briody won possession and sent the ball forward where Luke Harte fired over to extend Ballinloughs lead to five points.

A Blackhall Gaels point from play and a free in the 35th minute cut the lead back to three points before Sean Tunney added a pointed free for Ballinlough in the 37th minute.

Further points were traded with Brosnan converting for Blackhall Gaels and Sean Tunney landing a tricky free for Ballinlough in the 44th minute.

A glorious goal chance for Ballinlough came seconds later when Luke Harte bore down on goal and was unlucky to see his effort rattle off the post with Sean Tunney unable to keep the rebound effort on target from close range and the chance was squandered.

Blackhall Gaels broke forward themselves with the next play but they were to be kept out with a combination of Eoghan McCabe and Lorcan Maguire pulling off some fine defensive work in the 46th minute.

A free around the middle of the Park was to prove costly for Ballinlough as Josh Lynch picked up a yellow card but the ball was also brought forward by the Referee and the resulting free on the edge of the arc was sent over for a two point score in the 49th minute to leave just two points between the sides.

Blackhall Gaels had their tails up now and an excellent two point score from play was sent over in the 52nd minute to level the sides for the first time of the morning.

A Sean Tunney free in the 56th minute edged Ballinlough back in front and they were to be thankful to Benji Smith and his defensive capabilities a moment later to keep Blackhall Gaels out.

From Smiths intervention the ball was worked forward with Peter Downey and Robert O’Brien combining well before the ball was played to Luke Harte, and he sent a lovely ball into Jamie Casserly who kicked over a tidy point in the 58th minute to leave Ballinlough leading by two.

Having played all the football for the most part of the morning it was thus a sickening blow for Ballinlough when Blackhall Gaels broke forward in the 61st minute and aimed for goal, the ball coming back off the butt of the post before the rebound was clinically finished to the net to put Blackhall Gaels in front for the first and most important time of the match.

Ballinlough will feel aggrieved that with the last play Luke Harte looked to be felled but instead of whistling for what looked a clear free in that would have leveled the sides, the Referee decided to blow the full time whistle instead, Blackhall Gaels taking the win on a scoreline of 2-11 to Ballinloughs 1-13.

A very disappointing result for the lads to take but they can be very proud of their efforts ,with both young and not so young players giving it everything for the jersey and they were just pipped in the end.

A massive thank you to all the players who togged out over the year to ensure we had a second team to play and compete at this level, it was greatly appreciated.  

Ballinlough Team: Senan McDermott, Ryan Kellett, Lorcan Maguire,Eoghan McCabe, Robert O’Brien, Benji Smith, Niall McDonnell, Hugh Briody, Mick Geraghty, Luke Harte (1-01), Sean Tunney (0-06(4f)), Ciaran Ryan, Jamie Casserly (0-01), Dan O’Brien (0-05), Mark Tynan

Subs: Joshua Lynch for M.Tynan H/T, Rory Smith for C.Ryan 37’ Peter Downey for E.McCabe 50’

Referee: Simon Heneghan