Bannow seal last four spot
Harney stars against Fintan’s
A COMPOSED display form Bannow-Ballymitty saw them secure a place in the final four of the Ashdown Park/Amber Springs Hotel Intermediate football championship, as they secure a one-point win over St. Fintan’s in a close fought encounter in Oylegate on Saturday.
After leading at the break by three, the eventual winners were put to the pin of their collar in the second half, going behind in the final quarter.
But they dealt with St. Fintan’s rally admirably and with the help of some fine point-taking by Niall Harney, they held on for the win.
Indeed, it was Harney who gave them a great start kicking three unanswered points inside of nine minutes. St. Fintan’s had to work hard for their scores but pulled two back from Cathal O’Brien and Conor Sinnott.
Bannow-Ballymitty looked a lot more competent on the ball and hit a purple patch in the second quarter.
Points from Ben Brosnan, Art Sweetman, and John and Darren Sinnott saw them pull clear by six points minutes before half-time, but then they got the first glimpse of what would prove to be the thorn in their side for the remainder of the game, the accurate kicking of Donal Shanley who put three between the sides with a hatrick of points just before the break.
Shanley opened the scoring in the second half and continued to exchange scores with Harney and Brosnan leaving two between the sides midway through the half.
St. Fintan’s hard work was paying off and they found themselves ahead when Sinnott’s penalty kick hit the net with thirteen minutes remaining.
They continued to exert themselves but Bannow must be given credit for holding their composure to get themselves back in front and holding on to the lead with Harney and Kieran Butler kicking the vital scores.
Bannow-Ballymitty: Philly Murphy; John Staples, Niall Murphy, M.J Doran; Conor Neville, Art Sweetman (0-1), Nicky Doyle; David Currid, John Sinnott (0-2); Ben Brosnan (0-4, 2 frees), Niall Harney (0-6, 4 frees, 1 ’45), Darren Sinnott (01); Mark Sinnott, Kieran Butler (0-1), Graham Sinnott. Subs: Adam Diskin for M. Sinnott.
St. Fintans: Patrick McDonnell; Adrian Murphy, Frank Staples, Tomás Power; Peter Goldsmith, Joey Wadding, Jim Rossiter; Fintan Mullins, Paddy Keane; Niall Moore, Cathal O’Brien (01), Donal Shanley (0-8, 5 frees); Conor Sinnott (1-1, 1-0 penalty), Pádraig Doyle, Shane Sinnott. Subs: Jack Pettit (0-1) for Moore, Brendan Hughes for Murphy, Jason Pettit for Doyle.
Referee: Seán Whelan (St. Martin’s).