Late goal earns Ballybay dramatic win over Boherbue
Ballybay CC (Monaghan) 1-16 Boherbue Comprehensive School 1-14
A QUEST for All-Ireland silverware ended in disappointment for Boherbue Comprehensive School in extra-time on a defeat to Ballybay Community College in a dramatic All Ireland Colleges D Senior Football Championship Final at the Kildare GAA Centre of Excellence in Newbridge on Saturday.
The power balance swung either way right through a fascinating game before substitute Julius Sniauksta stepped up the plate in the 76th minute to claim the match winning goal. From a splendid contest, the outcome was always going to be a tight affair but when the big questions were asked, Ballybay’s key men surfaced.
Defeat was a devastating blow for a gallant Boherbue but their inability to drive home their advantage when on top at the close of the first period of extra time proved their undoing. The break allowed Ballybay regroup to rally, their sprightly young attackers clicked to deliver the match winning scores.
The tempo of this thrilling encounter was set from the off, Ballybay racing ahead but a decent response
Ensured this epic was going right down to the wire. Indeed Boherbue sparked to life for Jack Curtin to break in along the end line and fire home a goal. The Ulster champions recovered, Ulster minor medalists Aaron Mulligan and Darragh Dempsey on target with a run of points.to lead by double scores.
In fairness, Boherbue got to grips with the situation, and through the promptings of Jack O’Connor, Francis Cronin, Cillian Murphy and Shane Curtin, they closed off the danger routes. The move of Gerry O’Sullivan to midfield allowed the Duhallow side gain a platform to win ball for Curtin and Thomas Casey make headway going forward.
Murphy stormed up field to point a pair and with O’Sullivan also on target, a productive spell yielded points for parity 0-8 to 1-5 at the break.
Ballybay took the running on the restart with Mulligan and Dempsey to the fore, the latter blasted wide with a goal at his mercy. With little or nothing between the sides, Ballybay held a facility to jump ahead by a point or two only for Boherbue to bounce right back into the fray.
Their cause wasn’t helped on a black card picked up by playmaker Curtin and it robbed Boherbue of a key operator. At the other end, All Star Minor Mulligan landed a massive effort only for Boherbue trigger a big push, O’Sullivan and Casey landing crunch points and stalemate 1-10 to 0-13 at the end of the hour.
Into extra-time, the goalkeeping dynamics of Boherbue ‘keeper B J Dunstan stymied Ballybay with heroic saves from Joseph Duffy at point range. If anything, those incredible interventions acted to spur on as Luke Murphy fed Alan O’Connor to split the uprights with O’Sullivan also finding the range for a 1-13 to 0-14 advantage in favour of the Duhallow boys.
Now, the initiative had appeared to had shifted to Boherbue but on the change around, Ballybay wriggled their way out of trouble. Though midfielder Shane Slevin saw an effort denied by the post from close range, the initiative remained with Ballybay, greatly enhanced by another long range point from Mulligan and more stalemate.
The closing minutes could scarcely had been more exciting, two outstanding sides giving it their all with Ballybay looking the more dangerous outfit. And so it proved, Mulligan the instigator to go for the clincher, a great pass to the isolated Sniauksta saw the ball whizz past Dunstan.
In fairness, Boherbue worked hard in the remaining four or so minutes in a bid to rescue the game, unable to engineer an equalising strike and just left for O’Sullivan to post a late consolation point.
BALLYBAY CC: S Black, E McPhillips, C Corrigan, T McPhilips, D McElearney, E Duffy 0-1, J Hughes, J Wilson , S Slevin, A Mulligan 0-8 (5f), P Quinn, J Duffy, M Coyle 0-1, D Dempsey 0-5 (2f, 1 ‘45’), D McCann 0-1. Sub: J Sniauksta 1-0 for D Dempsey (56).
BOHERBUE CS: B J Dunstan (Boherbue); J Daly (Kiskeam), J O’Connor (Kiskeam), L Deane (Boherbue); F Cronin (Cullen), S Curtin (Rockchapel), C Murphy (Kiskeam) 0-2; S Murphy (Ballydesmond), L Murphy (Cullen); A O’Connor (Boherbue) 0-1, T Casey (Kiskeam) 0-3, J Curtin (Rockchapel) 1-0; L Moynihan (Boherbue), G O’Sullivan (Boherbue) 0-7 (5f), C Curtin (Rockchapel) 0-1. Subs: O Harty (Dromtariffe) for J Curtin (43, bc), E Collins (Rockchapel) for L Moynihan (51), Moynihan for Collins (55, inj), D Buckley (Meelin) for Deane (68, inj)
REFEREE: D Coady (Kildare)