GREAT SCOTT!
COLIN’S EQUALISER EARNS REPLAY FOR GRANGE...
Grange 1-8 Ballinacurra 0-11
GRANGE and Ballinacurra finished all square in this final at Páirc Uí Rinn on Friday evening.
Very little separated two evenly matched sides. Grange got off to a very good start. In the second minute good play by Noel Barry to Dave Keating led to the well placed Alan McNamara opening the scoring with a goal.
Ballinacurra fought back well – Padraic Nagle placed James Nagle who was fouled. The latter opened his sides account from the free. Both sides missed a few chances before a foul on Dave Keating in the 12th minute led to a pointed free by Noel Barry.
Grange doing well added another point at the end of the first quarter when a Noel Barry free was picked up by Kurt Wheeler who kicked over. Impressive Kelvin Krushal replied with a point for the East Cork side.
Ballinacurra worked a few good movements, but the Grange defence and keeper Noel Cashman held firm. Kelvin Krushal made a good run through the centre, but was intercepted by Peter Stapleton to Colin Scott the movement involved Noel Barry gaining possession and being fouled.
Noel Barry landed the pointed free and Grange were 1-3 to 0-2 clear. Ballinacurra lost Thomas O’Leary to a black card. The Imokilly side finished out the half strong but had just one score to show. In the 29th minute a free by James Nagle to Jake Hegarty resulted in Nagle taking the return pass and pointing 1-3 to 0-3 at the break.
For the second half Grange moved John Carmody to partner Peter Stapleton in midfield. Rain fell and it was Ballinacurra who did well. Good play for Grange by Alan Deegan and Devon Roche led to a fine point by Kurt Wheeler.
James Nagle followed with a pointed free. The same player with another free in the 39th minute left just two points between the sides 1-4 to 0-5. Substitute Ricky Fraher cut through from midfield for Grange and found Alan McNamara who was fouled.
The resultant free by Noel Barry went narrowly wide. Entering the final quarter Ballinacurra made some good raids along the wing, they came close to a goal but Noel Cashman saved well with the rebound going to Glen Harty who pointed.
The momentum was certainly with Ballinacurra at this stage A foul on Glen Harty led to an equalising pointed free by James Nagle 1-5 to 0-8. Grange kicked two wides. Good play by Michael Hennessy, John Carmody, Trevor Hynes and Ricky Fraher led to a foul on the latter with Noel Barry edging his side 1-6 to 0-8 clear from the free.
James Nagle worked well with Jake Hegarty who gave the pass back to Nagle who levelled 1-6 to 0-9. Grange came close to a goal when Devon Roche and Trevor Hynes worked well for Alan McNamara who cut through but his powerful effort from close range was saved by Robert Swayne.
In the 57th minute Ballinacurra hit the front for the first time when Glen Harty soloed through and kicked a great point. Two minutes later a foul on Trevor Hynes produced a pressure free for Grange that Noel Barry converted. In injury time both sides went in search of a match winning score.
Good play by Padraic Nagle led to Glen Harty gaining possession on the ‘40. The latter was fouled and James Nagle seemed to have kicked the winning pointed free. From the kick-out Ricky Fraher won possession in midfield he parted to Trevor Hynes who found Alan McNamara in the corner, McNamara worked his way placing the pass to Brian Cashman with the inrushing Colin Scott taking the final pass and scoring a massive equalising point.
The final whistle followed on the kick0out. The replay takes place this Friday evening in Páirc Uí Rinn.
GRANGE: N Cashman, J Roche, K Murphy, B Cashman, Devon Roche, M Hennessy, Darren Roche (Capt) A Deegan, P Stapleton, C Scott 0-1, J Carmody, K Wheeler 0-3, A McNamara 1-0, D Keating, N Barry 0-4f Subs: T Hynes for C Scott (inj) N McCarthy for K Murphy (inj) C Scott for D Keating, R Fraher for P Stapleton
BALLINACURRA: R Swayne, T Costigan, D Graham, S Wiggins, K Krushal 0-1, D Daly, S O’Connell, P Nagle, M Thompson, J Nagle 0-7 (05f) G Harty 0-2, J Hegarty 0-1, S O’Brien, K Harty, T O’Leary Subs: D O’Donoghue for T O’Leary (black card) G Carty for D Graham
REFEREE: Peter O’Leary (Castletownbere)