Ballinlough 2-16 Gaeil Colmcille 0-11

Ballinlough welcomed Gaeil Colmcille to the Park for Round 8 of the Division 7 League with both sides having aspirations of reaching the Final in this competition and it was the Kells side who started brightly with two points from play in the opening minutes.

Darren O’Higgins got Ballinlough scoring with a point from play in the fifth minute, before Niall McDonnell fisted over to level the sides after good work from Eoghan McCabe and Darren O’Higgins.

The home side took the lead a minute later when Brandon Brunton found the posts, and Ballinlough extended their lead when Podge Muldoon was out in front of his man at the back and the ball was worked forward where a goal chance was created but Ballinlough had to settle for the point from Harry Ryan.

A Kells point from play in the 13th minute kept them ticking over, but an excellent run from Brandon Brunton and some good link up play by Jamie Casserly set the Duracell Bunny that is Ronzer McGuinness up for his first point in the 16th minute.

The sides were level by the 23rd minute but Gaeil Colmcille were desperately unlucky to hit the crossbar with a goal chance, a real let off for the Ballinlough rearguard.

Abit of running repairs for Harry Ryan was required where a new right boot was needed, and thankfully one was found in the right size as Ryan went on to land a great score in the 29th minute from the boot of Declan Galligan.

More good defensive work from the home side saw Mattie Farrell cut across and intercept the ball before Ronzer McGuinness played it into plenty of space with Jamie Casserly retrieving and working it to Darren O’Higgins. The Birthday Boys first shot was well parried but O’Higgins was like a hound with the scent of the hare in his nostrils and followed the ball meticulously to finish to the net from close range in the 30th minute.

Credit to Gaeil Colmcille who finished the half decently with a goal chance sent wide and a point from play in the 32nd minute to lower the deficit, so when Referee Larry McEntee blew the half time whistle, O’Higgins goal was all that separated the sides with the scoreboard reading Ballinlough 1-06 to Gaeil Colmcilles 0-06.

From the restart early points were traded with Brandon Brunton accurate for Ballinlough, before good work from Louis Finnegan saw Ronzer McGuinness convert his second point from play for the morning.

A Gaeil Colmcille free in the 35th minute was cancelled out when Harry Ryan pointed from close range, that ball coming at him fast after Mark McCullens powerful goal effort smashed off the crossbar in the 36th minute.

Ballinlough’s only score able free of the game came in the 37th minute and Harry Ryan sent it over from all of almost 50 metres out.

That boot of Galligan’s was working overtime this morning with Ryan hitting two more points from play by the 43rd minute to leave Ballinlough leading comfortably by seven points.

The town team had a couple of chances from frees but two in as many minutes were sent wide of the posts while at the other end Harry Ryan was putting in an exhibition of scoring from play, with Mark McCullen fielding well in the centre of the field and Benji Smith providing the leg work before Ryan tipped over again in the 47th minute.

A Kells free was all they could muster in response but Ballinlough were in bullish mood with the returning Sean Tunney raising a white flag with a lovely score in the 52nd minute before Benji Smith got his customary point from play a moment later.

Gaeil Colmcille pointed again in the 55th minute and they had another goal chance for themselves a moment later but Alan Gibney stood tall and saw the ball out and away from danger to keep his clean sheet in tact.

Another superb point for Harry Ryan in the 59th minute was followed up by an excellently worked team goal, Peader Byrne with the perfect pass from midfield to Mark McCullen, and McCullen very unselfishly laid the ball off to the on rushing Harry Ryan who deftly flicked the ball to the bottom corner to raise the green flag again for Ballinlough in the 62nd minute.

A point from play for Gaeil Colmcille in the 64th minute was scant consolation and after a few more seconds Referee Larry McEntee blew the full time whistle with Ballinlough taking the deserved victory on a score line of 2-16 to Gaeil Colmcilles 0-11.

Ballinlough: A.Gibney, B.Jordan, P.Muldoon, M.Farrell, E.McCabe, L.Maguire, J.Lynch, H.Ryan (1-08(1f)), L.Finnegan, N.McDonnell (0-01), R.McGuinness (0-02), J.Smith, B.Brunton (0-02), J.Casserly, D.O’Higgins (1-01)

Subs: M.McCullen for J.Smith H/T, B.Smith (0-01) for E.McCabe H/T, C.Rennicks for B.Jordan 39’, S.Tunney (0-01) for J.Casserly 39’, P.Byrne for R.McGuinness 43’, K.Óg Lynch for D.O’Higgins 43’, M.Tynan for N.McDonnell 52’

Referee: Larry McEntee

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