Second half goals inspire Ballina to glory

GAA: North Tipperary Under 15 ‘A’ Football Final

Ballina 4-8

Kilruane MacDonaghs 2-10

Report: Michael Brophy in Cloughjordan

Four goals in the space of twelve second half minutes pushed Ballina towards the North Under 15 ‘A’ Football title in a well-contested final against Kilruane MacDonaghs on Monday.

After a cagey opening half with plenty of missed chances, the game opened up after the interval as Ballina rebounded from a narrow defeat to Kilruane in the group stages.

It was Kilruane that actually got the first goal of the game, but Ballina’s response was swift with four green flags in the middle of the second half that gave them an unassailable lead.

A brace of scores for Kilruane’s Ray Quinlivan and a responding point from Ballina’s Tom Russell opened the scoring, and it was Kilruane that had much of the territory in the first half.

This attacking impetus didn’t have enough of an impact on the scoreboard however, due to multiple wides and kicks falling short into the hands of Ballina goalkeeper Donnacha Morgan.

Ballina were always a threat on the counter-attack and took the lead through Russell and Gary Slevin points in the middle of the half. Ballina were finding the scores easier to come by from play, with midfield duo Enda Tormey and Thomas Shanahan kicking scores, as well as a second for the ever-industrious Slevin.

Kilruane’s Michael Cleary tagged on three pointed frees in between those Ballina scores to leave Kilruane behind 0-6 to 0-5 at the interval.

Playing against a moderate breeze in the second half, Ballina employed substitute Joshua Moroney as a sweeper, but it was Kilruane who struck for the first green flag. A long, hopeful ball in around the Ballina square was collected by Michael Hennelly who finished to the roof of the net.

The three-point lead for the hosts quickly vanished however, as Ballina burst down the field in response with Slevin setting up Russell who finished low to the net.

Kilruane briefly regained the lead through an excellent long-range free from Cillian Healy, but Ballina raised another green flag shortly afterwards when a long-range Slevin shot dipped agonisingly under Johnny Naughnane’s crossbar and into the net.

A third Ballina goal quickly followed when a high, looping kick dropped around the square and was eventually punched to the net by Russell for his second goal of the game.

Two points for the sharp-shooting Michael Cleary cut Kilruane’s deficit to three points in the middle of the second half, but Ballina’s fourth goal was the defining moment in the game. With ten minutes left, Shane Conroy finished smartly to the net to give the visitors a healthy lead.

Ballina’s fluidity was epitomised by an excellent point that followed soon afterwards as the ball was quickly transferred from the half-back line, via four different players, to Luke McKeogh who finished smartly for their final point of the game.

Kilruane tried their utmost to find late goals, and a long-range free from Cillian Healy did find its way through a sea of bodies before nestling into the net in injury time. That cut the deficit to four points, but there was no time left to cut the gap further.

Ballina’s defence, led strongly by the likes of Ruadhan O’Callaghan and Jack Grace, was stubborn in the latter stages of the second half as they ran out deserving winners.

Ballina: Donnacha Morgan; Ruadhan O’Callaghan, Jack Grace, Paddy Dowling; Evan Molloy, Ronan Coughlan, Tadhg McKeogh; Enda Tormey (0-1), Thomas Shanahan (0-2, 1f); Liam O’Shaughnessy, Ryan Angley, Shane Conroy (1-0); Gary Slevin (1-2), Luke McKeogh (0-1), Tom Russell (2-2).

Subs: Joshua Moroney for O’Shaughnessy (HT), David Nolan for Conroy (57), Eoin Bourke for Russell (57), Cian O’Callaghan for Tadhg McKeogh (57).

Kilruane MacDonaghs: Johnny Naughnane; William Jones, Fearghal Doheny, Fiachradh Ahearne Woods; Tommy O’Meara, Tommy Burriss, Jack Quinlisk; Paul Molloy, Cillian Healy (1-1f); Thomas O’Brien, Michael Cleary (0-6, 4f), Ray Quinlivan (0-3); Michael Hennelly (1-0), Shane Cleary, Cormac Gaynor.

Subs: Dara O’Looney for Gaynor (37), Hugo Healy for O’Brien (42), Cathal McIntyre for Jones (48), Dara Gaynor for Hennelly (59), Thomas Gaynor for Ahearne Woods (59).

Referee: Alan Tierney (Shannon Rovers)