O’Rourke earns draw
DUNLAVIN BALTINGLASS 1-09 0-12
FULL-FORWARD Shane O’Rourke smashed a sensational piledriver, that rocked the Baltinglass net from 35 metres out, in the 62nd minute to rescue a point for Dunlavin in a rousing finale last Saturday afternoon in this Arklow Bay League encounter played in good conditions.
This was literally a game of two halves with the visitors in total control at half-time leading 0-09 to 0-01.
Wing-back Brian Nolan got Baltinglass off the mark with a point inside the opening minute.
Sean O’Brien, who was instrumental for Baltinglass in the early stages, landed a brace of points.
Dunlavin pulled a brace of frees wide, as they went in search of their opening score.
However, they were further punished by points from Sean O’Brien and Adam McHugh after great work by Ian Sheeran and Jason Kennedy.
Harry Coleborne and Peadar Burke each got off the hook with a strong verbal warning, for a misdemeanour between both players.
Baltinglass were fairly comfortable at this stage with Sean O’Brien controlling the game, pulling all the strings.
However, Mark Reid was battling away hard for Dunlavin, breaking down numerous attacks.
Adam McHugh and Sean O’Brien each pointed to increase the lead out to seven points to no score, with twenty minutes played.
Peadar Burke knocked over a sweet longrange point for the visitors.
Dunlavin finally got off the mark in the 31st minute with a pointed free from the boot of James Walsh.
Adam McHugh registered the final score of the opening half a minute later with a point to leave the scoreboard reading 0-09 to 0-01 after good build up play by Tom Burke.
For the second week in a row, the home side were facing a strong half-time team talk from Jonathan Daniels. Dunlavin came out a different beast for the restart.
Shane O’Rourke swung over a sweet point before James Walsh pointed to make inroads into the deficit with 36 minutes on the clock. A further brace of unanswered points from the boot of an inspirational Cian O’Sullivan gave the home side massive belief, roared on by a boisterous home support to close out the third quarter.
A blistering shot by Shane Carthy was brilliantly tipped over the bar by sub goalie Willie Hanlon to leave it a three-point game.
Twice in the next couple of minutes Hanlon sensationally saved two certain goals, to keep Baltinglass in the game, as Shane Carthy cursed his luck, in what was a defining period of the game.
Ciaran Walsh’s Baltinglass rallied from this and Sean O’Brien added another brace of points before Stephen Heaslip pointed to restore a six-point lead with 56 minutes played.
Back came Dunlavin with another rally and a trio of points by the majestic Cian O’Sullivan left three in it, entering injury time.
It was all out attack by Dunlavin at this stage. Before Shane O Rourke smashed home the equaliser a minute later.
Each side got a chance of a winning score in the remaining two minutes played but we ended all square in a rousing battle.
Dunlavin scorers: Cian O’Sullivan 0-05, Shane O’Rourke 1-01, James Walsh 0-02, Shane Carthy 0-01.
Baltinglass scorers: Sean O’Brien 0-06, Adam McHugh 0-03, Stephen Heaslip 0-01, Peader Burke 0-01, Brian Nolan 0-01.