Three on trot for Ballinacor

Ashford lose by eight points

BALLINACOR ASHFORD 1-15 0-10

Ballinacor picked up their third straight league win when they had a comfortable eight points to spare over Ashford in their Division 2 League game played in Ashford on Saturday last.

The game was played in lovely sunshine on a firm dry sod, such an improvement on the weather conditions of recent weeks.

Ashford, for their part, came into the game hoping to improve on a poor start to the league, having already lost out to Ballymanus and Donard in their first two games.

Ballinacor hit the ground running and had two points on the board early on from Brian Hanlon and Davy Carter.

Their midfield pairing of Danny Dowling and Paddy Byrne established an early dominance with Dowling winning a number of marks from kick outs.

Ashford opened their account with a point from the right wing into the road goal.

The home side at this stage seemed anxious to find full-forward Brien Coen in their attacks but he was being tightly policed by the Ballinacor defence.

Ballinacor increased their lead with points from a Gerry Byrne free, Chris Kennedy, a fine score from Conor Parsons, and a Danny Dowling point to lead by 0-6 to 0-1 after twelve minutes. Brian Coen stopped the rot when he scored a great point from the riverside wing in the fifteenth minute.

However, the Glenmalure men continued their dominance and further points from Gerry Byrne (free), Peter Kennedy, Brian Hanlon and another Conor Parsons score left them 0-10 to 0-01 to the good with five minutes left in the first half.

Ashford rallied in these final minutes and was denied two possible goals within the space of three minutes.

Brian Coen pointed a free and then Collie Doyle was denied a goal when he got on the end of a high ball in on goalkeeper Ciaran O’Neill, who did well to deflect out for a ’45.

Centre-forward Brendan Manning added the home side’s fourth point and then goal chance number two came along.

A great Cal Connolly shot for goal came down off the crossbar and back out. In the follow up play, the same player struck the post with a point effort.

Brendan Manning finished the scoring with his second point to leave the half time score 0-10 0-5 in favour of Ballinacor.

The visitors began the second period at pace again.

Conor Parsons and Davy Carter had quick points but the visitors’ goal had another escape when goalie Ciaran O’Neill did enough to counter a possible goal chance from Ross Quinn.

The Ballinacor goalie was quickly called on again when he advanced smartly to prevent a chance for Cal Connolly who had been put through on goal with a fine pass from Brian Coen.

Having survived these early scares, Ballinacor moved back on the attack and Gerry Byrne pointed another free.

The real match clincher came on fourteen minutes when Chris Kennedy provided a very accurate foot pass from way outfield into the path of the in running midfielder Paddy Byrne who made no mistake with a ground shot to Willie Hender Philips’ left.

A further point from Jamie Nolan left Ballinacor ahead at this stage by 1-14 to 0-4.

Just as in the first half, Ashford again rallied and three points from Brendan Manning (two frees), Thomas Kearns and Mikey Trainor put a more respectable look on the scoreboard.

Gerry Byrne finished off the Ballinacor account with another free. The final score was Ballinacor 1-15 Ashford 0-10.

Scorers: Ballinacor – Gerry Byrne 0-4, Conor Parsons 0-3, Brian Hanlon 0-2, Davy Carter 0-2, Paddy Byrne 1-0, Chris Kennedy 0-1, Danny Dowling 0-1, Peter Kennedy 0-1, Jamie Nolan 0-1.

Ashford – Brendan Manning 0-5, Brian Coen 0-2, Thomas Kearns 0-2, Mikey Treanor 0-1.

NEWTOWN DONARD-THE GLEN 2-11 1-08

THE first half won’t live long in the memory of those who were at it, the second half will.

A low scoring first half gave way to a high scoring second half, in which Donard-The-Glen clawed their way back level only for Newtown to blitz them and lead by eight.

Back came Donard-The-Glen to get within two before Newtown pulled away in the end.

Both teams only played with fourteen men as Donard-The-Glen didn’t have a fifteenth player.

It was 5-3 to Newtown at half time, unfortunately that was the wide count.

It was 4-2 to Newtown at half time, unfortunately that was the number of shots dropped short.

It was 4-1 to Newtown at half time, unfortunately that was the actual score.

They pinned Donard-The-Glen into their own half and looked the more dangerous team without translating that on the score board. The opening few minutes suggested a different game however.

Alan Daly kicked a wide in an attack from the throw in before Mark Fitzsimons scored the first point of the game seconds later when he latched onto a breaking ball.

At the other end Brian Lennon ghosted into space and had a glorious chance for a goal. Kenneth Turner was up for the challenge though and saved well.

Those were the first few minutes, it took until the 14th minute and a Lennon free to get the next score of the match and equalise. It was Donard-The-Glen’s last score of the half.

Newtown continued to create their chances without taking all of them.

Fitzsimons shot over a beauty on his left foot for his second before Ross Davis converted a free and Barry Davis made the most of a misplaced Donard-The-Glen pass to make it four points to one at half time.

In contrast the visiting team were toothless in attack and when they did venture into the Newtown half their shooting was poor.

The second half was a different story.

Alan Daly, as he sometimes does, took the first half to gather his bearings and then unleash the full quota of his ability. He gave John O’Donoghue a terrible evening.

Seven minutes into the second half Donard-The-Glen were level. Daly got the first point, rounding O’Donoghue inside the 14 metre line before cutting back in and splitting the posts.

Barry Davis replied for Newtown but another three attacks yielded three points for Donard-The-Glen.

Ray Halloran got his name on the scoreboard and then Daly was fouled, the only recourse of action for the Newtown defence to stop him.

Harry Mangan converted the free. Daly levelled the match moments later, the score of the match off the outside of his left boot from an acute angle.

Donard-The-Glen had a couple of more chances to take the lead for the first time but the impressive Eoin Kelly and Brian Lennon were off target.

That spurred Newtown into action.

Cathal McNicholas scored the second best point of the game, he gathered possession with his back to goal and shot while turning.

Mark Fitzsimons got his fist on the kickout to break possession for his team and Ross Davis profited, pushing Newtown into a two point lead.

Then came the goals. A Karl Carthy shot for a point landed short and Conor Odlum collected the breaking ball to score from a few yards out.

The second was a fluke. A McNicholas shot looped over Mark Moore into the Donard-The-Glen goal from about 25 yards out.

Donard-The-Glen didn’t let their heads drop however and reduced the deficit from eight points to two within the next ten minutes.

Midfielders Harry Mangan and Brian Lennon kicked a free each before a slice of luck fell on Donard-The-Glen.

Kenneth Turner lost sight of Alan Daly’s 45 and let it drop in below the bar for a goal.

Daly followed it with a point but that was their last score of the game while Newtown reeled off four points in the final five minutes to capture the league points.

Scorers – Newtown: Cathal McNicholas 1-03; Ross Davis (1f, 1 45) 0-04; Conor Odlum 1-00; Mark Fitzsimons, Barry Davis 0-02 each.

Donard-The-Glen: Alan Daly (1-00 45) 1-03; Brian Lennon (2f), Harry Mangan (2f) 0-02 each; Ray Halloran 0-01.