High drama as Billies beat Donard-The Glen at the death

BALLYMANUS DONARD-THE GLEN 0-15 1-11

JOB done for Ballymanus but despair and anger for Donard-The Glen as they watched their championship hopes almost disappear on a beautiful Saturday evening in Baltinglass.

Despair because they came so close to what would have been a massive morale boosting victory, anger because they felt fiercely aggrieved at the decisions of referee Ciaran Fleming in the last 15 minutes of this game where Alan Daly will feel he deserved at least one free from several exchanges and that’s before he reflects on his appeals for a penalty after plucking a high ball from the sky above Darragh Byrne before hitting the deck as he turned for goal in the Ballymanus square.

Whether they have just cause for those grievances is up for debate.

Daly’s penalty call looked on first viewing to be fairly reasonable. He gathered a beautiful long Brian Lennon ball superbly over full-back Byrne and turned for goal.

Byrne did what any full-back will do in that situation, i.e. keep him out at all costs, and under the pressure of the Ballymanus defender’s tackling Daly went to ground but referee Ciaran Fleming waved away their penalty appeal and awarded a free out for a foul on Byrne as he made his way out by Sean Brannigan.

Moments later a cross field ball was gathered by Sean Brannigan who passed to Alan Daly who was swallowed up in a mass of Ballymanus bodies. It did appear that the Donard-The Glen attacked was fouled at least once in that nest of bodies but in fairness to the Billies backs they stood their ground and it is very common to see frees given against the attacker in such circumstances for overcarrying.

It’s nothing more than conversation now, though, as Ciaran Fleming’s decisions were final and so was his blowing of that final whistle. Some Donard-The Glen players reacted angrily and remonstrated with the Baltinglass official with one appearing to push the referee in the back as he left the field.

Apart from the ending, this was a belter of a game of football that was nip and tuck all the way through and no place for the faint hearted given the physicality out on the field of play.

One thing is for sure, if DonardThe Glen had been in a position to start Conor Healy they might have been a little more in control of proceedings at the end. As it was, he came on at the break and certainly showed what we have been missing since his injury while training with the county squad.

Up to that point Donard had been coping well in the face of a flying Ballymanus side who opened their tally with a fine Philip Coogan point in reply to a wicked Brian Lennon effort in the opening minute.

Paddy Molloy’s men led by 0-8 to 0-6 at the break with four Ciarán Whelan frees helping them over the course of the opening 30 minutes while the fisted point coming to the fore with at least three of the first half points coming from that option.

For Donard-the Glen, Brian Lennon was producing moments of class and had two points to his credit while John Hanbidge, Alan Daly, Dermot Daly and Colm Osborne chimed in with the rest.

Donard-The Glen were given a massive boost early in the second half when Ciaran Fleming spotted a pull back on Alan Daly by Darragh Byrne and Liam Mullen fairly buried the spot kick past Brendan Doyle to make it 1-7 to 0-9.

But Ballymanus are never beaten until you’re home in the kitchen with the kettle on the boil and so it was in Baltinglass. Mark Kenny leveled the game with a lovely stroke after 11 of the second half and Shane Whelan roamed forward to split the posts to return them to the lead.

Colm Osborne swung one over for Donard-The Glen and this was answered by Roan Lynch but an Alan Daly free cancelled that out with 17 on the clock.

Brendan Doyle turned hero shortly after with a fine save from Liam Mullen but Conor Healy pointed.

A Ciarán Whelan free made it all square as the game entered the melting pot. Harry Mangan gave Donard the lead again but a wicked Darragh O’Keeffe point made it all square again as the tensions rose.

Donard-The Glen attacked but were repelled on a number of occasions, and Ballymanus full-forward Padraig Byrne won a dubious free which was brought forward for lip and Ciarán Whelan done the needful.

Donard had a few more minutes to try and rescue the situation but a combination of superb Ballymnanus defending and tired legs meant their efforts came to naught.

They still have a slim chance and it would be regretful that such a talented team would not be in the mix for the business end.

Ballymanus are improving, and they are a strong, stubborn team that will bow to nobody.

Key to their win was the performance of half-back Liam Byrne who was superb in this game, especially in the second half.

Scorers – Ballymanus: Cíarán Whelan 0-7 (6f), Liam Byrne 0-1, Roan Lynch 0-2, Mark Kenny 0-1, Philip Coogan 0-1, Padraig Byrne 0-1, Shane Whelan 0-1, Darragh O’Keeffe 0-1.

Donard-The Glen: Liam Mullen 1-0 (p), Colm Osborne 0-2, Alan Daly 0-2 (2f), Brian Lennon 0-2 (1f), John Hanbidge 0-1, Dermot Daly 0-1, Ray Halloran 0-1, Conor Healy 0-1, Harry Mangan 0-1.

Brendan Doyle; Glen Farrar, Darragh Byrne, Aidan Byrne; Shane Whelan, Brendan Whelan, Liam Byrne; Darragh O’Keeffe, Mark Kenny; Philip Coogan, Roan Lynch, Seamus Coogan; Kevin Byrne, Padraig Byrne, Cíarán Whelan. Subs: Colm Coogan for S Coogan (48min), Paul Murray for P Byrne (BS, 54min, reversed on 58min), Seanie O’Neill for P Coogan (58min).

Mark Moore; Kevin Osborne, Alan Tutty, Mick Daly; Eoin Kelly, Joe Whyte, Harry Mangan; Brian Lennon, John Hanbidge; Liam Mullen, Alan Daly, Sean Brannigan; Laurence Daly, Colm Osborne, Dermot Daly. Subs: Conor Healy for L Daly (H/T), Ray Halloran for D Daly (H/T), Conor Kelly for J Whyte (46min).

Ciaran Fleming (Baltin-

glass)