Ballina win throws group wide open

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Hurling – Seamus O Riain Cup Group 4

 

 

Ballina 1-17

Templederry Kenyons 1-13

 

Report: Thomas Conway in Nenagh

 

Ballina re-energised their Séamus Ó Riain Cup campaign with an impressive four point victory over Templederry Kenyons last Saturday, a result which helped to swing the doors of Group 4 wide open, with all four teams now in contention for a quarter-final place.

On a day in which immaculate pitch conditions combined with glorious sunshine, the Shannon-side outfit managed to pull off a result which was largely unanticipated.

A Templederry wide within the opening twenty seconds established what would soon become an unenviable trend for Cormac McGrath’s side, which found it frustratingly difficult to hit the target all afternoon. Their abundance of wides was uncharacteristic, ultimately proving costly, and although Ballina’s accuracy levels were far from perfect, they showed greater consistency in front of the posts.

Steven O’Brien opened their account, collecting a hand-pass from Dan Finnerty on the break before swiftly gliding the ball over from 65 metres. A David Hickey effort soon followed from the wing, interspersed by two well-struck Éanna Murray frees at the other end – the wily attacker already creating problems for the Ballina full-back line, but spending most of his time in the company of man-marker Mike Grace, who would remain in close proximity for most of the game.

Michael Breen made his first real impression seven minutes in, snatching possession from centre-back and then bursting forward with familiar tenacity, completing the spectacle with the crispest of strikes to send the ball over from long range.

Templederry’s shooting difficulties were partly negated by the amount of chances they managed to create during those early stages, many of them originating from gritty teamwork around the middle of the field, which saw them steal possession and then direct the ball straight towards their inside-forwards.

Ballina were leading 0-5 to 0-4 when the game first started to really tilt in their favour on 27 minutes. Up until that juncture, Templederry looked as if they might start swinging over scores at any moment, but Ballina’s Aidan Hanly had already threatened their goal on a number of occasions, and with 27 minutes gone he managed to turnover possession near the corner of field, cutting inside and trying to unleash a shot. The ball was flicked away at the last second, but only as far as the oncoming Steven O’Brien, who pulled on the sliotar first-time and sent it flying past John Kennedy and into the net. Long and short-distance frees would follow for Ballina, each of them converted by Breen and Power respectively, both of whom would add further points before the end of the half. To their credit, Templederry managed to keep in touch during that Ballina purple-patch, knocking over two points of their own to leave them trailing by six at half-time, 1-9 to 0-6.

Both sides managed to tack on a series of points in the third-quarter, Templederry with four compared to Ballina’s three, but that seventeen minute period was a story of missed opportunities. Adrian Ryan eventually boosted Templederry morale, ending the quarter with a superb point from near the sideline, but it was clear at that stage that a goal would be required if last year’s Ó Riain Cup semi-finalists were to mount a serious challenge.

Ballina had pushed further in front when Éanna Murray came agonisingly close with a rasping shot which fizzed off the cross-bar and flew out towards the far wing, while minutes later Conor Maguire almost sealed the win with a goal, only to be denied by a brave Thomas Stapleton block.

The goal eventually did come for Templederry, courtesy of a Seán Ryan strike three minutes into stoppage-time. Too little, too late, you might think, but in actual fact there were only three points separating the sides at that stage and for a split second it seemed as if Templederry might salvage a draw against all the odds.

A last-ditch attack saw the ball break dangerously around the twenty-metre line, but the Ballina defence handled the situation well, averting the threat and eventually winning a free which Matthew Power coolly despatched, leaving the 18 year-old with a final tally of seven points.

 

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Matthew Power (Ballina)

Ballina: Eoin Sheehy (8); Sam Loughran (0-1, 7), Michael Grace (7), Jerry O’Brien (7); Josh Egan (7), Michael Breen (0-4, 2f) 8), David Kelly (8); Steven O’Brien (1-2, 8), Dan Finnerty (7); David Hickey (0-1, 7), Conor Maguire (0-2, 7), Tom Collins (7); Eoghan Power (6), Aidan Hanley (7), Matthew Power (0-7, 5f) 8).

Subs: Conor Bourke (7) for Egan (40); James Hanley (6) for O’Brien (51); David Grace (6) for M Grace (55).

Templederry Kenyons: John Kennedy (7); Michael Ryan (7), Thomas Stapleton (7), Padraig Hogan (6); Tom Ryan (6), Christy Coughlan (7), Liam McCutcheon (7); Adrian Ryan (0-1, 7), Tadhg McLoughlin (0-1, 7); Seán Ryan (1-2, 8), Gearóid Ryan (7), Darragh Carey (7); Matthew Hogan (6), Padraig O’Leary (7), Éanna Murray (0-8, 5f) 8).

Subs: Dale Donnelly (6) for T Ryan (HT), Colm Murray (0-1, 7) for O’Leary (HT), Mikie Ryan (6) for P Hogan (HT).

Referee: Kieran Delaney (Toomevara)