Baltinglass topple St Pats Kenny shines in cracker
BALTINGLASS and St. Patrick’s served up a keenly contested under-15 ‘A’ football championship game at Ballinakill on Wednesday, September 30.
Rainfall prior to the game and in the early stages left the playing surface greasy and ball handling difficult but both sets of players made light of that.
St. Patrick’s started the game in lively mode and were dominant up to the first water break. Alex Sinnott, Daniel Kavanagh, Lorcan Sinnott and lively full-forward Billy Joe Connors were winning a lot of possession but were seriously wasteful of good chances close to goal.
In addition, the Baltinglass last line of defence, with James Fleming excellent at full-back, kept a tight rein on the Pat’s inside forwards. Despite a minimum of attacking possession in these early stages, Jack Bookle put the Slaneysiders into the lead with a pointed free after eight minutes.
Pat’s continued to press and eventually Billy Joe got through for a goal after 13 minutes. Ollie Kennedy added a point a minute later. Baltinglass midfielders Jack Kenny and Jack Bookle were slowly beginning to win more possession around the middle third of the field. Jack Bookle added another Baltinglass point, this time from play, leaving Pat’s up by 1-1 to 0-2 when the referee halted for the water break.
The gradual improvement in Baltinglass fortunes continued on the restart with Kenny and Bookle now beginning to get on top around the middle of the field and between them they evenly shared four points before half-time.
St. Pat’s attacks were rarer now but they went back into the lead just before the half-time break when a left-footed effort from Sam Culleton dipped under the crossbar to leave the Wicklow lads ahead by 2-1 to 0-6.
St. Pat’s replaced the injured Alex Sinnott at half-time with Rumo Best while Lloyd Prendergast came in for Ashton Pender on the Baltinglass side.
The Slaneysiders continued to improve after half-time and centre forward Calum Brophy had the sides level after two minutes.
However, despite a much-improved all-round performance they were unable to convert this into scores.
Dean Kelly was wide after eight minutes having been put through with a great pass from Jack Kenny. Matt Fisher put them ahead after 11 minutes with a great left-footed volley from the ground. One minute later Jack Kenny, who was having a great second half, got through for a goal.
Matt Fisher and Dean Kelly added two more points but St. Pat’s struck back just on the water break when Rumo Best shot home their third goal to keep their hopes alive.
The score stood at 1-10 to 3-1 at water break time and St. Pat’s continued to attack on the restart. Billy Joe Connors, who would be a handful for any defence, pulled back a point for Pats and Sam Culleton added another from a free.
Baltinglass responded and finished out the game strongly. Jack Bookle had two points (one free), Jack Kenny got another and Dean Kelly got their final point just before the end.
Billy Joe brought the St. Pat’s scoring to and end with a point just as the game entered the time added period but it took a goal-line save at the death by Baltinglass centre back Kareem Matonmi to prevent a further St. Pat’s goal at the end. Baltinglass ran out four-point winners on a score of 1-14 to 3-4.
Jake Doyle; Dermot Wolfe, James Fleming, Conor Doody; Conor Stevenson, Kareem Matonmi, Killian Locke; Jack Kenny (1-3), Jack Bookle (0-6); Ross Nolan, Callum Brophy (0-1), Matt Fisher (0-2); Ashton Pender, Dean Kelly (0-2), Cody Fagan. Subs: Lloyd Prendergast for Cody Fagan, Sean Hancock for Ashton Pender.
ST. PATRICK’S: Fionn Greene; Lorcan Byrne, Denis O’Brien, George O’Neill; Charlie Phelan, Harri Armstrong, Eamonn Goddard; Alex Sinnott, Daniel Kavanagh; Will Farrell, Lorcan Sinnott, Connor Kelly; Sam Culleton (1-2), Billy Joe Connors (1-2), Johnno Moorehouse. Subs: Ollie Kennedy for Conor Kelly, Rumo Best (1-0) for Alex Sinnott.
Max Molloy (Annacurra)