Timmins points the way as Baltinglass overcome Aughrim

BALTINGLASS AUGHRIM 0-10 0-02

WHEN these teams play each other again later in the year they can expect a higher scoring game. The early season cobwebs were well and truly present, especially in the shooting department where Baltinglass had nine wides and Aughrim eight.

This Division 3 match was won in the middle sector of the field. Baltinglass were dominant under kick outs. Eltin Ryle never caught a ball all day at midfield, he got a fist to everything and his teammates had a ravenous appetite for the breaking ball.

It gave them possession and they attacked in waves, half backs, midfielders, half forwards, all moving in different directions to support the man with the ball and give him options.

Aughrim were unable to follow their men and at times it looked like a sea of Baltinglass players were converging on the Aughrim goal, only great tackling by their full back line kept a clean sheet.

It always felt like Baltinglass could have another few scores on the board if necessary but they didn’t fully exert themselves in March.

Aughrim, where tragedy struck last weekend, opened the scoring with a free. Paddy Phelan passed to his cousin Conor who was fouled and Paddy converted the difficult free from about 40 metres. Though they wouldn’t score until the final few minutes of the match they had their chances from frees, two of which dropped short and four went wide.

When their free takers get their eye in they won’t be at the receiv- ing end of results like this again.

It took Baltinglass thirteen minutes to equalise, a Jack Timmins free. Before that they couldn’t convert three chances and amassed five wides by the end of the half.

Timmins and James Quinn scored two points each to close out the half and they led by five points to one at half time.

Aughrim began the second half well with a burst of energy and a couple of chances that once again went wide.

Baltinglass had no such problems and reeled off four points in five minutes, two of them frees when Jack Byrne let his frustration seep into indiscipline.

That made it nine points to one after three quarters of an hour and a few minutes later Timmins converted his fifth free of the morning before being hauled off for a rest.

Richard Keegan got the last score of the game when he was fouled and pointed the free.

Scorers – Baltinglass: Jack Timmins (5f) 0-07; James Quinn 0-02; Tommy Cullen 0-01.

Aughrim: Paddy Phelan (f), Richard Keegan (f) 0-01 each.