Ballina leave it late but strike two clinical goals to top group and knock out Upperchurch

FBD Insurance Senior Football Championship - Group 2 - Round 3

Ballina 2-7

Upperchurch Drombane 0-9

Ballina left it uncomfortably late but 2-1 scored in the last six minutes of their final round game against Upperchurch Drombane in a feisty encounter in Newport on Friday evening, gaining revenge for their defeat in the hurling championship last weekend and saw them top Group 3 and in the process, secure knockout football in the coming weeks.

The win was even more impressive given the dilution of personnel for the North team who were without the likes of Michael Breen, Stephen O’Brien, Eoghan Power, and Teddy Doyle for the game through injury, and they had to dig very deep to find those late scores, especially considering how uninspired they looked in attack in the second half, and minus a player to boot after Kian Donnelly received his marching orders before that 2-1 salvo.

Coming into the game, they knew that a two-point win or more would suffice to get into the knockout rounds but it was a tall order doing so, as an experienced and stout Upperchurch Drombane team stood in their way; and the Mid side looked the likely winners up until the 57th minute.

The Lakesiders bookended this game with a very encouraging first 10 minutes seeing them rush into a 0-3 to nil lead with well-crafted scores from play being finished by Brian Carson (2) and Tom Lee to give them a solid start to the game in the beaming sun.

Upperchurch defeated the same opposition in the small ball last weekend which probably added to the spice and physicality of the early exchanges and they dominated the last quarter of the half - winning that period 0-5 to 0-2 - with Conor Fahey, Niall Grant, Sean Ryan, and Paul Shanahan (2) all doing the damage and that gave them a slender 0-5 to 0-4 lead at the break.

The beginning of the second half was lacking in any real action, at least on the ball, as the players were getting far too familiar with each other at times in the half with numerous skirmishes breaking out at various points and going into the final quarter, it was the ‘Church ahead 0-7 to 0-6 with Conor Fahey and Luke Shanahan the scorers while Ballina had Charlie King and a Jack O’Mahony mark to thank for keeping them in touch.

Ballina were playing catch-up for the majority of the second half - including the final quarter -  and looked bereft of inspiration with Upperchurch seemingly in control after the introduction of Luke Shanahan had them 0-9 to 0-6 up after 52 minutes of play.

However, the best player on the field on the day was Tipperary U20 star Charlie King and he made no mistake when presented with a sight of goal in the 57th minute, getting onto a breaking ball from a mark point attempt from Cathal ODonnell to finish brilliantly with his left past James Griffin in the Upperchurch goalmouth.

That goal breathed new life into the Ballina effort and that shot in the arm led to them making that King major a four-point goal with David Kelly cutting in from the corner forward position and floating over a well-taken right-footed effort. The great escape was now on for the Lakesiders.

They needed to extend that lead further to have a chance of making it out of the group, but while it wasn’t enough on the scoreboard for them, that Kelly point led to Upperchurch pushing further up to try and get the equalising score and it led to the Ballina clincher; even after Kian Donnelly received a second yellow card to put the men in blue down to 14 men.

Upperchurch were probing for a gap with the numerical advantage on the Ballina 45 and some excellent defensive swarming from Ballina saw them turn over the ball and break rapidly, substitute JP Mbokha played the final hand pass over the last ‘Church defender at midfield which set Jack O’Mahony away and with serious pace and composure to cut back across two defenders close to goal, the Ballina forward slotted home the game-clinching goal.

Ballina: Dara King; Kian Donnelly, Cillian Ryan, Paddy O’Donovan; James Hanly, Charlie King (1-1), Terry O’Hanlon; Harry Byrne, Tom Lee (0-1); Charlie Grace, Brian Carson (0-2), David Kelly (0-1); Cathal O’Donnell, Josh Egan (0-1), Jack O’Mahony (1-1, 0-1m).

Subs used: Sam Loughran for Hanly (31, inj); Ben King for J Egan (36); David Grace for C Grace (48); Matthew Power for O’Halloran (48); Zak Egan for Lee (48).

Upperchurch Drombane: James Griffin; Michael Griffin, Ailbe O’Donoghue, Ger Grant; Matt Ryan, Pat Ryan, Michael Lavery; Keith Ryan, Niall Grant (0-1); Oisin Treacy, Paul Shanahan (0-2f), Sean Ryan (0-1); Colm Ryan, Conor Fahey (0-2), Jim O’Dwyer.

Subs used: Luke Shanahan (0-3, 0-2f) for O’Dwyer (35); Dean Carew for S Ryan (35); Sean Shanahan for K Ryan (56).

Referee: Seanie Peters (Aherlow)