Lacken’s rally falls just short
LACKEN produced a point from David Reddy and a goal from Kenneth Balfe in injury time to make it a very tight finish to the Junior B football championship game in Blessington last Thursday night.
Lacken failed to score from the 20th minute of the first half until injury time in the second half and kicked eleven wides on the night.
Lacken will regret not keeping the scoreboard ticking over as they had a great start, leading
five points to two after 20 minutes with four points from Matt Cribbs and one from Paul Phibbs and pointed free from Sean Murphy.
The Blues suffered a major blow 20 minutes into the first half when their goalkeeper Robert Gilligan received a second yellow reducing Blessington to 14.
As in many such games the 14 men raised their game and Blessington narrowed the gap to one point at half time with the score 0-5 to 0-4 in favour of Lacken.
Blessington started the second half much the better with points in the opening ten minutes from Conor Ryan, Jack Cotter and Adam Boland.
The Blues kept the scoreboard ticking over and led ten points to five approaching the 30th minute.
The full backs on both sides were in superb form, Mark Richardson from Blessington and Mark O’Connell for Lacken while the contest of the night was undoubtedly Jordan Lynch at half back against Arnie Griffin from Lacken.
Despite the best efforts of Lacken’s Paddy McEvoy, Paul Phibbs and Timmy Broe in the middle of the field the minor players in the Blessington forward line did most of the damage with all three minors getting on the scoreboard with Adam Boland kicking three points, Jack Cotter kicking three and Stephen Carroll kicking two, the other two points coming from midfielder Conor Ryan.
The final minutes of injury time were nail-biting for the Blues management as David Reddy kicked a point to leave four points in it and then Kenneth Balfe narrowed it to one however, time ran out for Lacken as Adam Boland regained possession in the middle of the field from the kick out and referee Liam Cullen blew time.
Lacken will need to increase their scoring power for the entire match in the next game against Tinahely as they went almost 40 minutes in this game without scoring while the Blues have only now to face their equivalent Rathnew third team tomorrow night. LACKEN: James O’Neill; Paddy Nolan, Mark O’Connell, Ger Kelly; Daniel Griffin, Paddy McEvoy, James McGuire; Paul Phibbs (0-1), Timmy Broe; John Joe Nolan, Sean Murphy (0-1), Arnie Griffin; Kenneth Balfe (1-0); Matt Cribbs (0-3), David Reddy (0-1). Subs: Thomas Broe, Philip Gallagher.
BLESSINGTON: Robert Gilligan; Stephen Byrne, Mark Richardson, Cormac Brogan; Jordan Lynch, Sean Dennison, Peter O’Connell; Conor Ryan (0-2), Adam Carroll; Adam Boland (0-3), Steve Carroll (0-2), Christy Walsh; Stephen Willoughby, Thomas Fisher, Jack Cotter (0-3). Subs: Jack Mills, John McEnroy, Shane Fisher, Sean McGarr.