The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Breen points Ballymac to victory as ill-discipline costs Churchill
PLENTY of hand sanitiser on offer for those coming in through the gate of St Patrick’s pristine venue in Blennerville on Saturday night, but there was nothing sanitised about this salty Group 1 contest that saw Ballymacelligott edge victory over a Churchill team that is still fancied to qualify from this group. Referee Brendan Griffin dished out 16 yellow cards, including two for Churchill forward Ivan Parker in the 30th minute, but this wasn’t a dirty game. It was, no question, an uncompromising championship contest in which Ballymac’s greater street smarts was just about good enough to get them over the winning line against an up and coming Churchill team that is still learning.
One of those lessons is how to keep one’s head, a memo Parker obviously either didn’t receive or absorb. Manager William Kirby no stranger himself to playing on the edge in his heyday - will have been livid with Parker’s sending off (an early yellow for dissent followed by a second for a petulant kick just before half time) which, both teams might readily admit, was critical in determining the final result. Parker had kicked two points by the 10th minute, and as he showed for St Brendans last year, he’s an undoubted match winner - when he’s on the field of play.
Matters were even - 1-6 to 0-9 - when Parker kicked out at his opponent who certainly deserved a yellow for his part in the kerfuffle, though the Churchill man could consider himself fortunate not to have walked on a straight red card, which would have ruled him out of the visit of Brosna this weekend.
For their part, Ballymacelligott were a little more street savvy: it would be a stretch to say they were cynical, but they certainly knew who, when and how to stop their opponent’s main threats, and nine yellow cards might hint at a team prepared to play up to the line and pop a toe over it if necessary.
Among all the yellow confetti, the 200 people inside the grounds - and the few who gathered outside the perimeter - were treated to a guts and glory match. Ballymac had a little more of a grizzled look to them, and in the key battlegrounds they made that count. Micheal Reidy was excellent at corner back, as was Dylan Dunne at wing-back, who had kicked two points before he was inexplicably taken off with 15 minutes still to play. Beyond them Tomás O’Connor was influential at midfield, and upfront Vinny Horan, Aidan Breen and Paudie McCarthy were all movement and business.
The game was only seconds old when Kerry senior panellist goalkeeper Eoghan O’Brien had to deny Breen with a smart save, before Horan and then Breen (free) edged Ballymac into the lead. Parker then landed his two scores - either side of a converted Breen free - but the Churchill man was already on a caution for remonstrating with referee Brendan Griffin.
Churchill were 0-4 to 0-5 behind – O’Brien converting a wonderful 42-metre free – when, just after the water break, Cillian Fitzgerald’s pass put Thomas Lenihan through and he slipped the ball past Brian Lonergan to give Churchill the lead. Parker was then denied a goal by Reidy’s last-ditch defending, before Ballymac scores from Breen (two frees), Horan and Dunne - against points from Sean Donnellan and another O’Brien free for Churchill - saw the teams level at the break, 1-6 to 0-9.
Perhaps angered by Parker’s sending off, or knowing they needed a strong start, Churchill hit early points through Fitzgerald and Jason Mortimer, but Ballymac eased themselves back to parity through O’Connor and Breen scores, the latter showing great strength to create the chance for himself.
Dunne stole up from wing back to fire over his second score, but
then Ballymac
were left off the hook when Fitzgerald did really well to get past the cover but his low shot skidded just wide of Lonergan’s post. It was the sort of chance a 14man team couldn’t afford to miss.
Daire Keane and Mortimer exchanged points to make it 1-9 to 0-13, and while Churchill were very much in the contest, Ballymac looked like they had a little bit more about them, even though their numerical advantage wasn’t that obvious.
Damian Doherty came off the Churchill bench to fire over the equalising score in the 53rd minute, and both sides then wasted decent chances, and it was well into additional time when O’Brien had to be alert to deny push Daire Keane’s shot behind, with Horan converting the ‘45’ to put Ballymac a point clear, and Breen knocked over the insurance free in the 63rd minute as Churchill ran out of lives, energy and time.
BALLYMACELLIGOTT: Brian Lonergan, Micheal Reidy, Tadhg Brick, Michael Sweeney, Dylan Dunne (0-2), Con Reynolds, Luke Sweeney, Daniel O’Shea, Tomás O’Connor (0-2), Daire Keane (01), Vinny Horan 0-3 (1’45’), Aidan Breen 0-7 (6f), Darragh Regan, Eoin Ó Siochrú, Padraig McCarthy. Subs: Mike Hoare for E Ó Siochrú (37), Darragh Broderick for D Regan (39), Josh O’Keeffe for D Dunne (49).
CHURCHILL: Eoghan O’Brien (0-2f), Cian Donnellan, Peadar Stack, Sean Hamilton, Ciaran Carmody, Paul Linehan, Gary Rolls, Daniel Greaney, Thomas Lenihan (1-1), Jason Mortimer (0-2), Cillian Fitzgerald (0-1), Joe Linehan, Sean Donnellan (0-1), Ivan Parker (0-2), Liam O’Donnell. Subs: Damian Doherty (0-1) for S Hamilton (39), Cathal Rog
ers for C Carmody (64).
REFEREE: Brendan Griffin (Clounmacon)