McKeogh hat-trick inspires Ballina to Junior ‘B’ glory

GAA: North Tipperary Junior 'B' Hurling Championship Final

Ballina 4-14

Newport 0-15

Report: Joe Scully in Dolla

Goals win games and that was certainly the case on Sunday as Ballina were crowned North Tipperary Junior ‘B’ Hurling champions for the second time as they overpowered a game Newport outfit in the final.

The victory was based off the back of a strong defensive performance with the Lakesiders leading from the very beginning, and two goals in the opening five minutes helped them on their way in a game where they were always in control, with Tadgh McKeogh playing a key part scoring a hat-trick, with Gary Slevin getting the other goal.

Both teams deserve a massive amount of credit for a highly entertaining hours hurling but Ballina just had that little bit more composure in the attacking third throughout.

Newport had some good moments of their own but just lacked a cutting edge and took the wrong option on a number of occasions when in dangerous positions and will be disappointed with the manner in which they conceded a couple of the goals.

Ballina got off to a flyer and Ben King opened the scoring in the second minute from a free, and two minutes later Braoin Cleary picked out Tadhg McKeogh with a fantastic ball, who in turn turned his marker before heading for goal and finishing to the back of the net.

It got even better for the Lakesiders when Gary Slevin found the net three minutes later after as mistake from Newport goalkeeper Paul Hogan, who seemed to have possession secured but lost the ball and was punished.

A Brian Bourke effort from play in the eighth minute extended the lead to eight points before Newport finally got into the game and would hit three unanswered points with a Stephen Coffey effort sandwiched in between two frees from Cillian Collins.

Ben King responded with two points, the second an excellent finish from distance to leaver the score 2-4 to 0-3 after 24 minutes. Another Collins free a minute later reduced the gap to six, but a King free and a point each from Luke Power and Brian Bourke had Ballina nine ahead in the 29th minute.

Power then saw an effort saved by Hogan in the Newport goal, and they would go straight up the pitch with Collins finding the target, and they reduced the deficit further in added time thanks to Stephen Coffey. Ben King and Cillian Collins would exchange frees before the break, which Ballina went in at leading 2-8 to 0-7.

The gap was back to just six within 34 seconds of the restart through a Harry Noone point, but any hope of a Newport comeback was soon extinguished through a Ben King point from play and then, almost straight away, Tadgh McKeogh found the net for his second and Ballina’s third goal, winning a long ball and finished emphatically to the net.

Collins added two frees as Newport kept plugging away, before a great score from sub-Brian Hurley left Ballina ahead by nine after 37 minutes.

Another Collins free was soon added to by a Stephen Coffey point from play to leave seven in it, but once again Ballina struck back with two-in-a-row from Ben King, the first an excellent finish from a tight angle.

Cillian Collins had the gap back to seven by the 51st minute with two frees, but from the resultant puckout, Brian Bourke made a superb catch before firing over, and less than a minute later, following a brilliant team move, Tadgh McKeogh would compete his hat-trick to put the game beyond any doubt.

Newport would continue to push for a goal but would have to be content with just a point from a Collins 65, before a Ben King point from play with three seconds of normal time to play would prove to be the final score of the game, as Ballina ran out eleven point winners, much to the joy of their supporters.

Best for Ballina were Tristan Giroudiere, Aidan Hanley, Braoin Cleary, and Dara King defensively, while Ben King, Conor Shanahan and Tadgh McKeogh stood out in attack, while for Newport, Andrew Hickey, John Lee, Jack Ryan and Cillian Collins were most prominent.

TEAMS – Ballina: Martin McKeogh (6); Tristan Giroudiere (8), Aidan Hanley (7), Dara King (8), Braoin Cleary (7), Cian Molloy (6), Thomas Collins (6), Conor Bourke (6), Jack Grace (7), Brian Bourke (7), Tadgh McKeogh (8), Ben King (8), Luke Power (7), Conor Shanahan (7), Gary Slevin (6).

Subs: Brian Hurley (7) for Shanahan (20-25 blood, 35); Cathal O’Donnell (7) for Power (35); Corey Ryan (NR) for Grace (56), Donnacha Morgan (NR) for Slevin (60+1); Ronan Coughlan (NR) for Cleary (60+2).

Newport: Paul Hogan (6); Tom Allen (6), Conor Keating (6), Andrew Hickey (7); Darragh McGrath (6), John Lee (7), Niall Duffy (7); Jack Ryan (7), Jordan Young (6); Harry Noone (7), Peter O’Sulivan (6), Cillian Collins (8), Jack McCarthy (7), Jack Delahunty (6), Stephen Coffey (8).

Subs: Martin Carey (7) for McCarthy (HT); David Whelton (6) for O’Sullivan (44); James Tobin (6) for Young (50); Darragh Gavin (NR) for Noone (56), Sam Caplis (NR) for Duffy (57).

Referee: Shane Hodgins (Knockshegowna).