Ballydonoghue survive and consign Annascaul to the drop

COUNTY PREMIER JFC RELEGATION PLAY-OFF FINAL Annascaul 3-11 Ballydonoghue 1-13

CONTRASTING emotions on the main Castleisland to Tralee road last Saturday evening as while Lispole celebrated a County Junior Championship success in Austin Stack Park, over in Ballymacelligott Annascaul were left to contemplate relegation to the same competition just over 11 years after they won a Munster Intermediate Club title.

A clash of colours saw Ballydonoghue play in a training strip and while three goals might have seemed a big factor in their win, in truth it boiled down to some fine goalkeeping from Darragh O’Shea on the night.

Eamon Hickson put over a decent effort for the first score of the game for Annascaul but an injury to Cathal Ferriter was a setback as only for O’Shea denying James Scanlon with the first of many saves they would have been further ahead than 0-5 to 0-2 after the opening quarter.

The game was ended as a contest in Ballydonoghue’s favour in the period up to half-time however as two Paul Kennelly goals and a Jim Cremin effort gave them a lead of 3-6 to 0-5 at half-time. Annascaul did their best to try and find a way back in the second period but when O’Shea managed to force an Alan Falvey penalty over the bar it was indicative of how it was going to be the North Kerry side who would be the ones to escape relegation.

Both sides went down to 14 men after Colm Barry for Annascaul (yellow and black) and Micheal Foley for Ballydonoghue (two yellows) were given their marching orders. Eamon Hickson finally found a way past O’Shea before the final whistle but that was only after a double save from Jamie O’Driscoll and Shane Foley and a point blank effort from Falvey was also stopped!

Paul Kennelly scored four of Ballydonoghue’s five second half points (2-7 in total), Eamon Walsh the other as they clung on to their Premier Junior status for 2019.