Hogans prove too strong

0-13 0-8

MICHAEL HOGAN and Ballinglen served up a great battle in the Minor ‘C’ football semi-final at Annacurra on Monday night.

When these sides met earlier in the championship victory went to Michael Hogan in a high scoring goal fest. There was no chance of this happening again as both sets of defenders kept a tight rein.

Hogans, playing away from the dressing rooms end, got off to the better start with a point from Adam Arslam. The centre forward was wide in another attack before Rory O’Dare was set up by Patrick Murphy to open the Ballinglen account with a point from play after six minutes. Cormac McGraynor responded to put Hogans ahead.

Both sets of defenders were making it difficult and scores were slow to come. Rory O’Dare levelled the game again at 0-2 apiece. Both centre backs, Dylan Byrne and Conor Byrne, were marshalling their forces well.

Rory O’Dare pointed again, this time from a free but Cormac McGraynor levelled again from a free just before the water break. When play resumed there were only two further scores – a point apiece – before half time.

It was very much a case of stalemate although Balinglen appeared to have more possession with Conor Byrne. Patrick Murphy, Rhys Nolan and Oisin Gorman prominent. However, the Hogan defence held out and an exchange of points by Oisin Gorman and Cormac McGraynor left the sides level at 0-4 each at half-time.

Ballinglen, now playing away from the road end seemed to adopt a strategy of pulling back their half forwards to the middle third of the field. Oisin Gorman was also outfield and Rory O’Dare was left in space up front.

However, the quality of the ball going into him was seldom to his advantage and far too many deliveries from outfield carried too far and ran wide. Shane Arthur and the two corner men, Conor Edwards and Leo Byrne kept clearing a lot of ball. Michael Hogans were enjoying a surplus of possession but were unable to break down the Ballinglen defence.

Cormac McGraynor smacked a shot off the crossbar after eight minutes and Adam Arslam pointed from play but Oisin Gorman levelled matters again coming up to the water break. It was beginning to look that the winners of this game would need to score a goal.

Oisin Gorman was moved back in for the final quarter and it appeared to work. Two pointed frees from Conor Byrne pushed Ballinglen into a 0-7 to 0-5 lead as the game entered the final five minutes.

This was a significant lead in a game as tight as this one but

Michael Hogans fought back and two pointed frees from Cathal Baker brought the sides level. He was wide with another and we now faced two ten-minute periods of extra-time. Hogans were the side to drive on in the first half to establish a two-point lead at the break 0-9 to 0-7. Their first score was probably the point of the game scored by Dylan Byrne. He fielded in midfield, moved forward into space and shot a great point into the road goal. James Murray added a second.

Hogans pulled away in the second half with Dylan Byrne coming forward to shoot his second point followed by three in a row from Cormac McGraynor, who had been kept quiet for most of the game.

Conor Byrne pulled back a point from a free but Hogans ran out comfortable winners.

MICHAEL HOGAN: Calum McKenna; Conor Edwards, Shane Arthur, Leo Byrne; Ryan Kavanagh, Dylan Byrne 0-2, Sean Fleming; Conor Short, Cathal Baker 0-2 (2f); Patrick Le Ccardi, Adam Arslam 0-2, Cian O’Neill; James Murray 0-1, Cormac McGraynor 0-6 (2f), Sam Carroll. Subs: Jack Bayley Johnson for Conor Short. Kieran O’Keeffe for Cian O’Neill. Josh Kavanagh for Ryan Kavanagh. BALLINGLEN: Killian Mulhall; Odhran Doyle, Calum Mutton, Darragh Hayden; Odhran O’Callaghan, Conor Byrne 0-3f, Cian Fitzgerald; Patrick Murphy, Rhys Nolan; Sean Weld, John Moran, Evan Doyle; Rory O’Dare 0-3 (1f), Oisin Gorman 0-2f, Larry Kinsella. Subs: Owen Hedderman for Evan Doyle. Kevin Murray for Odhran O’Callaghan. Maurice Hedderman for Rhys Nolan.

REFEREE: Garreth Whelan (Kiltegan)