ACFL Division 2 Belturbet and Bailieboro share the spoils
Belturbet 1-14
Bailieborough 3-8
Bailieborough's excellent second half display earned them a share of the spoils with Belturbet when the two sides clashed in Rory O'Moore Park on Sunday afternoon last. The visitors outscored their hosts, by 3-7 to 1-6 in the second period, with some fine attacking play and some crucial interventions from their goalkeeper Conor Gilsenan proving decisive.
Belturbet dominated the first half from the outset, with captain Brendan Fitzpatrick splitting the posts in the second minute, after a good pass into him from Cian Vaughan. Kevin McConnell and Enda Henry combined in the sixth minute, to tee up Fitzpatrick who again finished with aplomb, to move the Rorys 0-2 to 0-0 ahead. Rhys Clarke got Bailieborough off the mark in the seventh minute of the first half with a neatly taken point from the right hand wing. The Shamrocks would have to wait thirty minutes before they again troubled the scoreboard, as the home side grabbed the game, by the scruff of the neck. Vaughan and Fitzpatrick combined with the latter playing a delightful pass into space in the 10th minute for McConnell who curled over. Jason O'Reilly added a free in the 11th minute to move the hosts 0-4 to 0-1 in front. Bailieborough hit three wides to Belturbet's two in a mini drought of scoreless action, before Jason O'Reilly converted a 17th minute free, after a foul on Damien O'Reilly. Conor Gilsenan pulled off a tremendous point blank save, with 18 minutes on the stopwatch, thwarting Eoin McGuigan's effort. Jason O'Reilly knocked over two quick fire frees to leave Belturbet 0-7 to 0-1 ahead with 20 minutes gone. Cian Vaughan finished off a well constructed team move, to open up a seven point lead for his side, with 28 minutes gone. This was the final score of the first period and left Belturbet with a 0-8 to 0-1 half time advantage.
Damien O'Reilly sauntered through the Bailieborough defence, to rifle over a point two minutes into the second half to ease Mark Monaghan's troops 0-9 to 0-1 ahead. Donal McDonald profited from a neat Jayo lay-off, to score an excellent point from a tight angle on the right hand side of the field, in the 34th minute. Belturbet strung a lightning move together in the 36th minute, with the ball worked up the field through McGuigan, Fitzpatrick, McConnell and ending with Enda Henry racing through on goal, to smash an unstoppable shot into the back of the Bailieborough net.
Niall Comey ended the visitors long scoring drought with a 37th minute point to leave it 1-10 to 0-2. Gilsenan, who made several top drawer saves for his side and was again at his best, to thwart Fitzpatrick, with 39 minutes gone. Michael Argue, who had been having a quiet game blasted over a long range point and scored a fortuitous goal with 43 minutes gone, when a hopeful ball from the right hand wing deceived the Belturbet defence to sneak into the net. Harry O'Neill, who was excellent in the second half for the visitors, got his first point of the game in the 44th minute, to leave the Shamrocks trailing by 1-10 to 1-4. Jason O'Reilly's 47th minute free and a point from play after good work from Damien O'Reilly a minute later left the Rory's with a 1-12 to 1-4 lead. Bailieborough quickly turned this eight point deficit into a one point game with a fast 2-1 salvo. O'Neill slotted over a free in the 49th minute and Gilsenan's well struck 45 sailed straight into the Belturbet net in the 51st minute.
The visitors had all the momentum at this stage and they worked the ball at pace, dissecting Belturbet challenges, before Aidan Reilly hammered a shot past Danny Anscombe from close range in the 53rd minute to leave it 1-12 to 3-5. Peter Shannon started a move in the 55th minute which was worked through Damien O'Reilly and McDonald and ended with Henry drilling over a point. O'Neill responded for Bailieborough before McConnell sliced over a point under pressure with 58 minutes on the clock to leave the Rory's with a 1-14 to 3-6 lead. O'Neill thrashed over his fourth point of the second half and Niall Comey ensured his side salvaged a draw with a late point.
Belturbet: Danny Anscombe, John Cahill, Mark Lawlor, Peter Shannon, Niall O'Reilly, Damien O'Reilly (0-1), Conal McGinley, Eoin McGuigan, Enda Henry (1-1), Donal McDonald(0-1), Cian Vaughan (0-1), Kevin McConnell (0-2), Brendan Fitzpatrick (0-2), Jason O'Reilly (0-6 5f), Stuart Dunne.
Bailieborough: Conor Gilsenan (1-0), Darren Clarke, Calvin Daly, Luke Moynagh, Philip Clarke, Aidan Reilly (1-0), Conor Tierney, Sean Cooney, Peter Clerkin, Senan O'Reilly, Michael Argue (1-1), Paul Hanley, Rhys Clarke (0-1), Harry O'Neill (0-4 1f), Eoin O'Sullivan. Subs: Darren Brady, Niall Comey (0-2).
Referee: Oliver Og O'Reilly.
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