Late point keeps Na Gaeil’s last four hopes alive
COUNTY PREMIER JFC GROUP 4 ROUND 3
Na Gaeil 0-13 Ballymacelligott 1-10
A POINT deep into added time salvaged a last gasp draw for Na Gaeil in Group Four of the Premier Junior Championship last Saturday evening thereby keeping their chances alive in terms of qualification for the knockout phase of this particular competition with their rearranged game against Finuge on this weekend deciding which team will qualify for the semi-final.
It was a contest which both sides will look back on with mixed feelings with Ballymacelligott looking as if they had snatched a win in a final frantic finish. However, on the basis of the overall exchanges Na Gaeil who kicked twelve wides will maybe feel that they had ample opportunities to put themselves into a strong position, and given their supremacy territorially for a prolonged period in the second half they probably deserved at least a share of the spoils. Despite a lot of endeavour, both sides served up somewhat indifferent performances with each enjoying periods of supremacy at varying stages in proceedings.
At the outset the home side were the more efficient combination with Stefan Okunbar and Diarmuid O’Connor who kicked the opening score inside two minutes both quite prominent. It was a score negatived almost immediately by an Aidan Breen free at the other end.
Level on two points apiece after eight minutes Na Gaeil were creating most of the scoring opportunities, but a tendency to over elaborate allied to their inaccuracy in scoring situations meant that they led by just a single point, 0-3 to 0-2, after ten minutes of play, having already kicked five wides during that period. They were also denied by Padraig Laide in a goal scoring situation, but further points from Diarmuid O’Connor with a fisted effort, and Jack Barry at the end of a surging run meant that they led by three points, 0-5 to 0-2, at the end of the opening quarter, a lead which could and maybe should have been an awful lot greater.
Ballymac’s build up allowed Na Gaeil to retreat in numbers, thereby creating a blanket defensive formation, but after Aidan Breen had landed his own and his team’s third point in the sixteenth minute he struck for the game’s only goal one minute later. Electing to go short with a tap over free he displayed admirable resourcefulness and produced a clinical finish low to the net after a quick interchange of passes.
With Na Gaeil struggling to gain any advantage from their kick outs, due in part to the pressure being imposed by the opposition, Ballymac enjoyed a purple patch, kicking three unanswered points to lead by four points 1-6 0-5 by the 22nd minute. They could really have put daylight between the teams at that particular juncture given that Aidan Breen, a leading light for them throughout shot wide with a player in support in a gilt-edged goal situation. Certainly the visitors with Cian Counihan quite industrious and effective in the midfield sector were completely dominant at this particular juncture, but a late response from the locals meant that just two points, 1-6 to 0-7, separated the teams at the half time break.
Na Gaeil restarted with far greater urgency, but kicked two early wides on the restart, before Eoghan Sheehy via the upright brought them closer in the 36th minute. A Dara Devine free had them level, 0-9 to 1-6, by the end of the third quarter, and they looked like the side most likely to succeed at this particular juncture. Ballymac were pushed back into a rearguard action, and in fact didn’t register a score for all of 20 minutes during that second half. It was supplied by ace attacker Aidan Breen who neatly flicked over at the end of a lofted delivery from distance. It levelled matters again, after Na Gaeil through Seamie O’Neill had briefly gone back in front. Jack Barry who was seen to better effect in the second half edged his side 0-11 to 1-7 in front with seven minutes of normal time remaining.
However Ballymac with Micheal Reidy and Aidan Breen providing the impetus for them continued to pursue the issue with a lot of intent, and, were back in front courtesy of another pointed free from the unerring Aidan Breen, and, a fisted effort from Luke Sweeney in the fifty ninth minute in a one on one situation which could well have provided a match winning goal. However, in the circumstances with the game delicately poised and drifting to its conclusion it was probably the correct option. Jack Barry equally after a defence splitting run when he could have opted for a goal, played in Dan O’Connor who coolly fisted over the equaliser, right on the stroke of normal time.
Na Gaeil defended in numbers as the encounter drifted into added time, but Ballymac’s patient build up allowed them to unlock their last line rather easily, and a point from Mike Sweeney looked to have sealed the issue for them in the 63rd minute. However, as the encounter drifted into its sixty sixth minute Jack Barry manouvered himself into a scoring position, surrounded by a trio of defenders. It certainly looked as if he might well have taken one or two steps too many before he kicked the equaliser left footed from just outside the 20-metre line.
It concluded a contest of tight margins, and indeed a win for Ballymac would have kept their qualification hopes alive, being dependent of course on the result of the upcoming game between Na Gaeil and Finuge. That’s a game which now becomes a quarter final tie in this particular Championship. NA GAEIL: Timmy Culloty, Ryan O’Neill, Kieran Dineen, Colm Lyons, Eoghan Sheehy (0-1), Andrew Barry (0-1), Eoin Doody, Jack Barry (0-3), Stefan Okunbar, Eoin O’Neill, Diarmuid O’Connor (0-2), Kieran O’Donovan, Ian McCarthy (0-2f), Jamie Lowham (0-1), Seamie O’Neill (0-1). Subs: Dara Devine (0-1f) for J Lowham, Dan O’Connor (0-1) for I McCarthy, Fergal Barry for E Doody, James O’Connor for E Sheehy.
BALLYMACELLIGOTT: Padraig Laide, Eoin O’Malley, Tadhg Brick, David Long, Micheal Reidy, Con Reynolds, Luke Sweeney (0-1), Shane O’Reilly, Cian Counihan, Alan Bonn, Aidan Breen (1-7, 0-5f), Cathal Dunne, Vinny Horan (0-1), TJ Casey, Darragh Regan. Subs: Padraig McCarthy for A Bonn, Daniel O’Shea for C Dunne, Genie Griffin for TJ Casey, Eanna Reidy for D Regan, Mike Sweeney (0-1) for D Long.
REF: Cathal O Dubhda (An Ghaeltacht)