Billies see off Ballinacor
Five goals prove decisive
BALLYMANUS 5-09
BALLINACOR 0-10
FOOTBALL is a game of two halves and that was exactly the case in Askanagap last Friday night for the clash of neighbours Ballymanus and Ballinacor in the Hiltonne Engineering Division 2 football league. Shorn of a large number of players (up to ten on reports from the club) Ballinacor were facing a very difficult task ahead of their fixture with the Billies.
It was the home side who made the first contributions to the score board inside a minute with Patrick Byrne converting a free and Mark Kenny firing over a point as it looked like an easy assignment for the Billies.
However, the next 15 minutes would be all Ballinacor pressure with five wides and a Conor Parsons free only added to their name before a five-minute blitz from the Billies. Kieran Whelan added a point from play before a dangerous ball into the goal area from a Mark Kenny sideline was fielded by Padraig Byrne who turned to fire low under TJ Carter into the goal for the games first major. It would by Byrne again minutes later showing his predatory instincts to rise and fist in a dropping ball from Paul Murray to raise a second green flag.
Ballinacor responded through frees from Paddy Byrne and Conor Parsons just before half time with Padraig Byrne and Parsons trading scores in injury time to leave the score at 2-4 to 0-4 at the break in favour of the Billies.
Unfortunately for Ballinacor, they had kicked nine wides and dropped a shot short in that half which they were dominant in the possession stakes with the Billies first wide coming in the 28th minute.
Kieran Whelan opened the scoring with a free in the second half after a burst up field from full back Darragh Byrne before Ronan Phelan’s reply from the visitors. Phelan’s point was a particularly enjoyable team point worked up the field after an interception from the hard working Martin Byrne in the full back line.
It would be poor clearances and wayward passes that would be Ballinacor’s downfall in the second half with Kevin Byrne scoring a point after a poor clearance from one such instance. A hotly disputed shot from Darragh Byrne was adjudged a point by the umpire shortly after which aggrieved several Ballinacor players and resulting in a black card for Chris Kennedy who deemed the shot wide but the loss of a key figure in their defence didn’t drop Ballinacor who to their credit kept plucking away.
Ciaran O’Neill was proving a handful at full forward and a foul on the utility player resulted in a free before O’Neill again turned provider with a neat pass into Paddy Byrne for their next two scores. Another interception from Mark Kenny on a Ballinacor free allowed the county footballer twenty yards run through on goal to fire in his side’s third major and he assisted in Padraig Byrne’s next score with fine donkey work allowing Byrne to calmly slot over.
Paul Murray, who was introduced as an early sub for the injured Patrick Byrne, played a role in an earlier goal in the game repeated the trick after getting on the end of a Ballinacor attempted clearance and combining with Craig Farrar to free Ballymanus captain Kevin Byrne to finish to the net for a fourth goal. Byrne almost added another goal moments later but a quick flick with his hands was thwarted by the foot of the post and the rebound was shepherded away by a number of the Ballinacor defence.
Ballymanus would get that fifth goal toward the end however with Greg Farrar picking up a rebounded ball from a TJ Carter save and firing into the roof of the net with his left foot from the penalty spot.
The final two scores came from two Ballinacor stalwarts in Parsons and Byrne with Byrne’s score a particular highlight with the Ballinacor man thundering through the middle of the pitch and firing over after receiving the ball off the shoulder of Jamie Nolan.
Ballymanus will be delighted with the two points received from the win here despite a lacklustre opening half. The Ballinacor line were extremely positive in their actions and gratitude to the team for getting together and playing some good football in the opening half but will look forward to welcoming back their absentees as they look to push on from last year’s disappointment.
Ballymanus: Brendan Doyle; Jim Byrne, Darragh Byrne (0-1), Glenn Farrar; Shane Whelan, Paddy Byrne (Gap), Philip Coogan; Seamus Coogan, Mark Kenny (1-1); Kieran Whelan (0-3), Padraig Byrne (2-2), Brendan Whelan; Craig Farrar (1-0), Patrick Byrne (0-1), Kevin Byrne (1-1). Subs: Paul Murray for Patrick Byrne (Moyne), Sean Byrne for B Whelan, Killian Farrar for K Byrne.
Ballinacor: TJ Carter; Stephen Dowling, Chris Kennedy, Martin Byrne; Peter Kennedy, Philip Byrne, Philip Dunne; Paddy Byrne (0-4), Ronan Phelan (0-1); Brian Hanlon, Conor Parsons (0-5), John Dunne; David Carter, Ciaran O’Neill, Jamie Nolan. Subs: David Greene for J Dunne, JP Byrne for C Kennedy, Danny Byrne for D Carter.
Referee: Liam Cullen