Dream year rolls on for Baltinglass!
BALTINGLASS TINAHELY 5-10 3-11
THE Baltinglass under-16 footballers continued the club’s magic 2016 when they blew Tinahely away with a late surge in the county ‘A’ final in Aughrim last Saturday afternoon.
In a year where the club has claimed titles at under-12, under-14 and Senior level, this under-16 title is sweet icing on the GAA cake and shows the rude health the club is in at this moment in time.
Key to the victory on Saturday at the county grounds was the team ethic among Sean O’Brien’s charges. Whereas Tinahely had some real standout individuals, Baltinglass possessed the strength in unity to overcome the tough challenges that arrived on their doorstep during this game.
With 10 minutes gone in the second half and Tinahely leading by three points and dominating proceedings all over the field, a Baltinglass win was looking increasingly unlikely. However, the withdrawal of substitute Gerard Donoghue who had replaced James Hedderman in the first half seemed to unhinge the Tinahely unit and it was from here on in that Baltinglass resumed control of the game and powered home to victory.
The Baltinglass lads had started like a train and had left Tinahely stunned in their wake with a 2-04 to 0-03 lead after 17 minutes of play.
Of vital importance to the bright start was the influence of Jordan Deanes and corner-forward Jack Hanlon who would later collect the Wicklow People sponsored Man of the Match award.
The talented Hanlon won his side’s first free which was subsequently sent in by Alan Barrett but his kick was veering wide only to be kept in by a Baltinglass hand. It fell to Padraig McMahon who showed nice feet to create some space but his low shot screamed wide of the Tinahely upright.
Barrett made amends shortly afterwards when he collected a lovely floated handpass from Sean Doody and dropped over a lovely score off the right boot with three minutes on the clock.
Tinahely’s Matthew Ging would record a wide for his side but the young centre-half forward was to the fore in this game and he clocked up some really lovely scores over the 60 minutes and is a talent which wilol hopefully be seen on the football fields of Wicklow for many years to come.
A foul on Adam Hadden presented Padraig Murray with a chance from a free off the ground and the half-forward didn’t disappoint.
His 45 a moment before had dropped short and was cleared by the Baltinglass defence but only as far as Hadden.
From this moment until the 20th minute, approximately 13 minutes, Baltinglass ran riot.
Some brilliant attacking play from Hanlon saw him collect a ball from midfield and round Cillian McDonald before passing off to Jack Fleming who brushed past Alex Byrne and fired home to an empty net for the game’s opening goal.
Sean Doody split the posts from distance and then a panicked handpass from Byrne in the Tinahely goal gifted Jordan Deans with the easiest goal he’ll ever score and Baltinglass were suddenly up by 2-02 to 0-01.
The flurry of scores prompted a switch in the Tinahely formation with James Hedderman drifting back to full-back with Kevin Mulhall moving out the field.
Alan Barrett kept the Baltinglass attack on the front foot with a point before Deanes finished off a lovely Baltinglass move up the field to make it 2-04 to 0-01.
At times like these the team on the receiving end of such a performance usually needs someone to step up and take this game by the scruff of the next and in Matthew Ging Tinahely had just such a man.
He bombed over two wicked scores and clocked up another wide before another player who answered the Tinahely call, Eoin Darcy lashed home the first of his hat-trick to the back of the Baltinglass net with 20 on the clock.
Ging from a free left just three between the teams at 2-04 to 1-04 with 24 minutes gone and then the same man from play and a rocket of a goal to the bottom corner from Darcy saw Tinahely surge into the lead.
James Hedderman left the field around this time and was replaced by Gerard Donoghue.
Baltinglass full-forward Johnny Keogh fired over for his side and the sides retired at 2-05 apiece.
Tinahely emerged in the second period with some adjustments to their line-up. Danger man Eoin Darcy was gone to full-forward with Padraig Murray and Shaun Doyle alongside.
Tinahely started well enough and Matthew Ging popped over a screamer after a long run to inch his side into the lead again.
Points from Pirerce Lawlor, Matthew Ging, and Daniel Ging with a sole reply for Baltinglass from the boot of Johnny Keogh from a free left Tinahely leading by 2-09 to 2-06.
Tinahely sent Hedderman back in in place of Gerard Donoghue and whether it was a factor in what unfolded or not is difficult to tell but Tinahely’s momentum disappeared and Baltinglass bounced back big time.
Jordan Deanes and Sean Doody pointed to reduce the lead to one and then Jack Hanlon pounced to fire home a wicked goal to send Baltinglass powering back in front with 14 to go, 3-08 to 2-09.
Second half substitute Emilio Faulkner set up Hanlon for a point shortly afterwards and Tinahely then decided to reintroduce Donoghue but this time in at corner-forward in place of Conor Breslin.
A foul by Kevin Mulhall on Aarron Corcoran left Alan Barret with a tricky enough free and his effort looked to dropping short to the hands of either Bradley Hickey or Alax Byrne but neither man claimed it and the ball sailed on to the back of the net.
Superb work by Jordan Deanes in blocking Eoghan Byrne provided him with the chance to launch the stolen ball forward and he did so with aplomb into the hands of Emilio Faulkney who had snook in behind the Tinahely rearguard and the talented footballer lashed home to make it 5-09 to 2-10 with 26 gone.
Tinahely battled bravely and Matthew Ging swung over a free and Eoin Darcy completed his hattrick with a fine effort on 29 minutes but the Tinahely goose was well cooked at that stage and a Johnny Keogh free closed the scoring to leave Baltinglass worthy winners on a score of 5-10 to 3-11.