Stunning Ballyduff blitz champs
WHERE the hell did that come from?
Had you watched the first half you’d be forgiven for thinking the fire had gone out of Ballyduff’s belly. It was tepid stuff, standoffish and sloppy. All of it playing into Kilmoyley’s hands.
The Naomh Pairc Eric outfit were by no means outstanding themselves, but they were tidy, doing enough to get by and, with Ballyduff coughing up needless frees to Daniel Collins, they bit-bybit extended their lead throughout the half.
By the end Fergie O’Loughlin’s side had opened out a six point advantage – 0-10 to 0-4. Daniel Collins accounted for eight points of their ten point total, seven of those from placed balls and other than that there really wasn’t a whole pile to recommend the first half of this semi-final.
Had the game continued in a similar vein in the second half we’d be really struggling for much more to say about the game. We suppose we would probably have talked about the end of an era for Ballyduff and the possibility of Kilmoyley’s ascension to the top of the roll of honour next month... what a difference thirty minutes can make.
No fire in Ballyduff’s belly? You’ve got the be kidding. The end of an era? Not a chance. As for Kilmoyley going out clear on their own at the top of the roll of honour, that will have to wait at least another year.
On the basis of what we saw on Sunday it’s much more likely that Ballyduff will reclaim top spot for themselves in a couple of weeks time. On the basis of what we saw on Sunday the Lixnaw management will have plenty of sleepless nights between here and then.
All that is for another day. Right now we can but marvel at what the Duffers were able to do in the second half last Sunday afternoon. This was powerful stuff. It was blitzkrieg. It was shock-and-awe. It left Kilmoyley in a spin.
The Ballyduff brain-trust shuffled the deck at half-time bringing a combative Gary O’Brien into the side along with Paul O’Carroll. Those two changes helped spark a revival. Most of all, however, it was clear Ballyduff were by no means happy with themselves and how they performed in that first half.
If they were going to go down, then Ballyduff were going to go down all guns blazing. They were standoffish no more, they got stuck into Kilmoyley in a serious way and Kilmoyley seemed initially taken aback by it.
Having had it so easy for the opening thirty minutes of the match it must have come as a bit of a shock to the system to find themselves second to every ball all of a sudden. Three points on the bounce at the beginning of the half – from Pádraig Boyle, the impressive Jack O’Sullivan and Jack Goulding – halved the deficit straight away.
Game on and, while Robert Collins did strike back for Kilmoyley on thirty four minutes, Ballyduff were just getting going. Their next score would prove to be game-defining. O’Sullivan fed Pádraig Boyle and the Kerry star powered on towards goal before unleashing a powerful shot which almost burst the roof of the net.
Ballyduff, remarkably, were just a point behind now. A point from Anthony O’Carroll followed (assist Padraig Boyle) to put them level. Shortly thereafter Jack Goulding put Gary O’Brien in for a goal-scoring opportunity, which was well dealt with by Aiden McCabe.
Just as well as a goal then, just seven minutes into the second half, would have almost been enough to kill this contest stone dead. Over the next ten minutes Ballyduff added another four points unanswered (three Pádraig Boyle frees, a point from play by Daniel O’Carroll assisted by... you’ve guessed it Pádraig Boyle) to open out a four point advantage.
In the space of sixteen second half minutes Ballyduff had engineered a ten point turnaround. Genuinely remarkable stuff. It was some turnaround in fortunes for Kilmoyley. Under the circumstances you’d be forgiven if they’d put up the white flag, just accepted that it wasn’t going to be their day and leave it at that.
Instead they fought like dogs for the remaining fifteen or so minutes of the match. They never really came close to overhauling the deficit, which now existed between the sides, though they did reduce that margin back to two with points from Tom Murnane and Luke Fitzell.
A couple of points by the brothers Boyle – Mikey and Pádraig – on the fifty second and fifty third minutes all but killed the game as a contest. The two scores mirrored each other.
On the left (the railway side) Mikey fielded a puck-out and used the possession to split the posts at the Horan’s end. Seconds later and Pádraig does the same on the right (the stand side).
Eight minutes to go and the four point margin re-established, it was looking grim for the reigning champs. A Daniel Collins free brought them back to within a score, but Pádraig Boyle was a man possessed by now. Two points from play in as many minutes extended Ballyduff’s lead to five by the fifty seventh minute.
Points weren’t going to win this for Kilmoyley, therefore it was no surprise when Aiden McCabe stepped up to take a close in free. Unfortunately his effort skewed off his hurl and went straight over the bar.
A final pointed free from Tom Murnane briefly gave Kilmoyley hope again – reducing the deficit back to three – but Ballyduff were equal to what they offered. Daniel Collins did manage to set up Joseph McElligott for an outside chance of goal, but PJ O’Gorman wasn’t going to be beaten from there.
In the end a Jack Goulding point rounded out the scoring for a remarkable victory for the green and white. Cliché though it may be, when all’s said and done, Ballyduff are Ballyduff. Never, ever count them out.
Kilmoyley were good champions. They’ll come again in time, no doubt.
BALLYDUFF: PJ O’Gorman, Pádraig O’Grady, Eoin Ross, Cathal Kearney, David Goulding, Paud Costello, Ally O’Connor, Daniel O’Carroll (0-2), Anthony O’Carroll (0-1), Pádraig Boyle (1-9, 6f), Mikey Boyle (0-1), Jack O’Sullivan (0-2), John Hussey, Aidan Boyle, Jack Goulding Subs: Gary O’Brien for A Boyle, half-time, Paul O’Carroll for J Hussey, half-time, Liam Boyle for D O’Carroll, 62
KILMOYLEY: Aiden McCabe (0-1f), Seánie Nolan, Colman Savage, Flor McCarthy, Dougie Fitzell, Tom Murnane (0-2, 1f), Kieran McCarthy, Paudie O’Connor, James Godley, Seán Maunell (0-1), Daniel Collins (0-10, 8f, 1 ‘65), Philip Maunsell, Maurice O’Connor, Adrian Royle, Robert Collins (0-1) Subs: Jordan Brick for A Royle, 38, Luke Fitzell (0-1) for P Maunsell, 40, Joseph McElligott for D Fitzell, 41