Ballivor 2-14 Walterstown 2-10

Ballivor 1-17 Kilbride 1-16

It was a successful few days for Ballivor with important wins over two of the other protagonists in the ‘Fusion Workwear – Print & Embroidery’ Division 3 football league.

On Saturday evening, Walterstown made the journey to Ballivor. Both teams were missing players but still had strong panels available to them and were keen on putting down a marker as the team to beat in the league and for championship, where of course these two will meet again later in the year.

Referee Bernard Heaney threw the ball in, Keith Keoghan won the midfield battle and Ballivor broke quickly. The ball ended with Brendan Mckeon on the Walterstown endline, he breezed past the oncoming defender and passed it across the goal for Paddy Conneely to tap it home. As good a start as the host could have hoped for.

The three-point lead didn’t last too long. Walterstown replied with a goal of their own, three minutes in, and the game was all square once again.

It took ten minutes for the first white flag of the evening. After a few cagey minutes of play and chances missed for both teams, the visitors put the ball over the bar and took the lead. As it turned out, this would be the only time that men in black held the advantage.

On the 12th minute, Adam Gannon curled a point over with the inside of the left to level it again. This was followed with a point from Conal Diggins and a pointed free from Brendan Mckeon. 

The next few scores went tit-for-tat. Walterstown scored one, Brendan Mckeon scored one and then Walterstown scored another. With 25 minutes gone there was only a solitary point between the teams, but then the men in maroon started to up the pace and work through the gears, scoring 1-3 unanswered before the break. 1-2 of it from Adam Gannon and the other point from Paddy Conneely. Ballivor had a nice cushion at half time, and it potentially could have been more only for some missed goal chances.

Walterstown came out for the second half determined on closing the 7-point gap, but the home side had answers for most of what was being thrown at them with some immense defending and for every score Walterstown got, Ballivor usually had a reply up the other end. A brace of points from Adam Gannon and another one each for Brendan Mckeon and Paddy Conneely kept Ballivor ticking over. 

It wasn’t going to be plain sailing to the end for Ballivor though. A freak goal from a long range free, followed by a two pointer from play left just three points in it with 5 minutes to go.

Ballivor rallied again, Brendan Mckeon popped over another score and Paddy Conneely cleverly fisted two points to keep Walterstown at arm’s length and secure victory for Ballivor.

On Tuesday evening, Ballivor travelled to Kilbride for the re-fixed round three fixture which was postponed the week previous. Both teams had momentum coming into it, Kilbride had a maximum 6 points from 6 and Ballivor were only one off with 5/6. 

This game was an excellent watch from start to finish with loads of quality on display and very little to separate two good footballing teams.

For most of the first half the sides went score for score. Ballivor’s domination of the control of the midfield battle and in particular Gary Sherrock’s lording of the skies gave the visitors a platform to attack and the first half points came from the usual suspects. Two for Brendan Mckeon, two for Adam Gannon and one each for Paddy Conneely.

However, Kilbride’s impressive direct kick passing and running off the shoulder did cause problems for Ballivor going the other way.

The major moment of the first half came on the 26th minute when Luke Douglas was one on one with the goalkeeper, the keeper made a good save, but the ball was still alive and before Luke could get there for the rebound, he was chopped down with a slide tackle from behind, penalty given. Brendan Mckeon coolly dispatched from the spot.

The second half started with a Kilbride point to draw the game, but the next ten minutes was Ballivor’s most impressive spell with 5 scores in a row to build a 6-point lead. The scores coming from Paddy Conneely, a lovely two pointer from Ciaran Dowling, Brendan Mckeon, Paddy again and Adam Gannon.

Nobody expected this Kilbride side to just lie down and accept defeat and accept defeat they did not. A two pointer of their own initiated the comeback. This was followed by two more points and then a rocket into the top corner from the Kilbride number 23. They had managed to completely turn the game on its head and now held a one-point lead.

Conal Diggins scored a point to stop the rot and halt the Kilbride momentum. Ballivor got their second wind and Brendan Mckeon kicked two more points followed by a Paddy Conneely fisted point to give Ballivor a three-point lead with 5 minutes to go.

There was still a twist left in this and three Kilbride points in a row meant that we were going into injury time deadlocked. Ballivor were on the attack and the ball was with Adam Gannon. In a desperate attempt to stop Adam getting a shot away, he was pulled down. The referee judged the foul to have been just inside the 40-metre arc and a one point free was awarded although it was by no means an easy free. Thankfully one point was all Ballivor needed. Up stepped Brendan Mckeon to go through his familiar free kick routine. He swung the left leg, connected beautifully and the ball sailed between the sticks, fist pumps all around. The referee gave three blasts of whistle, and it was all done. Pressure, what pressure?

There are great highlights and in-depth stats from this match available on Instagram @gaa_stats_and_stuff

The two Div 3 games sandwiched a second team game in the ‘K Mckweon Carpentry and Home Improvements’ Division 8 football league game on Sunday morning, in which, Ballivor were unlucky not to claim the victory. A Paul Kelly 2 point free with the last kick rescued a draw for Blackhall Gaels.

All in all, a busy but successful few days for Ballivor who continue their unbeaten league campaign. Next up is Kilmainham away on Saturday 26th April.

Team v Walterstown: Thomas Raleigh, Ronan Comey, David Conneely, Noah Doyle, Billy Birmingham, David Raleigh (JC), Gary Sherrock, Keith Keoghan, Ciaran Dowling, Killian Canavan, Brendan Mckeon (JC) (0-4), Conal Diggins (0-1), Patrick Conneely (1-4), Adam Gannon (1-5), Jamie Smyth. Subs: Sam Sweeney, Luke Douglas

Team v Kilbride: Thomas Raleigh, Ronan Comey, David Conneely, Noah Doyle, Billy Birmingham (0-1), David Raleigh (JC), Ciaran Dowling (0-2), Keith Keoghan, Gary Sherrock, Luke Douglas, Brendan Mckeon (JC) (1-6), Conal Diggins (0-1), Patrick Conneely (0-4), Adam Gannon (0-3), Jamie Smyth. Subs: Sam Sweeney

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