The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Goal haul helps Beale to final spot
Beale 3-10 Ballyduff 0-13
BEALE marched on to the Junior Championship final when they defeated Ballyduff in comprehensive fashion at Coolard last Saturday evening.
It was a strange game in that Ballyduff had looked the better side for most of the first half, but found themselves just a point up at the break as Beale slotted over two scores right on the stroke of half-time.
The Beale resurgence continued at the start of the second half and a purple patch that saw them score 2-2 without reply gave them the impetus to push on for victory.
Beale started brightly and found themselves two points up after three minutes with frees from Darragh Buckley and James McMahon. Ballyduff appeared nervous and hesitant but grew into the game as they began to win some good primary possession around the middle of the field.
Three points on the bounce, with two frees from Mikey Boyle and an excellent Johnny O’Regan effort, pushed them a point ahead with eleven minutes gone as Beale struggled with the Ballyduff running game.
Mikey Boyle was proving to be an excellent target man for Ballyduff, and Beale were thankful to net-minder Sean Dee after he saved from O’Regan, after Boyle put him through for a goal chance.
Beale continued to struggle, and Ballyduff added two more points from a Boyle free kick and Jack Goulding from play to push them five points to three ahead. When Beale did attack, Darragh Buckley and James McMahon looked very lively in the forward line, but some poor shot selection saw them kick some bad wides. Ballyduff weren’t as wasteful, and Boyle slotted over his fourth free of the half to push his side 6-3 ahead and seemingly in firm control of the contest.
Beale to their credit upped their workrate and forced Ballyduff to go lateral in their passing. This meant that the dangerous Mikey Boyle was starved of early ball, and with the Ballyduff dangerman now redundant, the Ballybunion lads started to grow in confidence.
Cormac Linnane in particular was showing well at centre half-forward and pointed frees from James McMahon and an inspirational effort from corner back Shane Joy left them just a point adrift at the break.
Ballyduff stopped the rot with an early second half free from Boyle when he was fouled himself when Jack Goulding showed great vision to pick him out with a superb ball.
Beale were ravenous on the breaks however, and hit a purple patch that would ultimately decide the contest. It all started with a McMahon pointed free from an acute angle, and straight from the kick out Darragh Buckley scored a lovely individual effort to bring his side level at seven points apiece. It was all Beale now and the screw was firmly turned in their favour.
Cormac Linnane took on the Ballyduff defence near the sideline and his crossfield ball left the inrushing Darragh Buckley with the simple task of punching the ball into the back of the net for a goal.
Two minutes later Buckley turned provider, and after a strong run he fed James McMahon for goal number two to push the Beale side 2-7 to 0-7 ahead. Ballyduff were rocked, but credit to the way they responded with points from Barry O’Grady and a Mikey Boyle free kick to bring it back to a four point game.
In the meantime Beale lost full-back Colm Kissane to a black card for a deliberate hand trip as Ballyduff started to exert some pressure of their own.
Beale were still very much in control at this stage though, and frees from Buckley and McMahon from play pushed them 2-9 to 0-9 ahead with just 10 minutes left to go. Tempers began to fray, and as yellow cards were dished out to both sides, Beale’s Ger O’Gorman was unlucky when his goal bound effort crashed off the upright.
The sides traded points, but in the 60th minute Jake O’Connell sealed the victory for the Beale side when he scorched the back of the net after his side broke up a Ballyduff attack and hit them quickly on the break.
Ballyduff tried desperately to get a goal of their own, but all they had to show for their efforts was a Mikey Boyle point in the 62nd minute as Beale marched confidently into the County Junior Championship final.
BEALE: Sean Dee, Fionnan Twomey, Colm Kissane, Shane Joy,(0-1) Ian Mannix, Jeremy King, Paul Collins, Philly Blake, Dan Ellis, Ger O’Gorman (0-1 ‘45’), Cormac Linnane, Jake O’Connell (1-0), Darragh Buckley (1-4, 3f), James McMahon (1-4, 1f), Cillian Courtney Subs: Seamie O’Sullivan for C Kissane (b/c, 44), Callum McSweeney for C Courtney (57), R Mulvihill for D Buckley (b/c, 61)
BALLYDUFF: Sean Browne, Thomas Slattery, Paul O’Carroll, Ben Tobin, Anthony O’Carroll, Cathal Kearney, Darren O’Connor, Paud Costelloe, Padraig Boyle, Johnny O’Regan (0-1), Barry O’Grady (0-1), David Goulding, Jack Goulding (0-2), Daniel O’Carroll, Mikey Boyle (0-9, 6f) Subs: Philip Lucid for D Goulding, 50
REFEREE: Paul Hayes (Kerins O’Rahillys)