Blackhall Gaels 3-11

Ballinlough 1-09

Ballinlough made the relatively long trip to Kilcloon this afternoon to face Blackhall Gaels in Round 1 of the Corn na Boinne Cup, and it was the home team who came out of the blocks fastest hitting 1-01 without reply in the opening five minutes. 

Benji Smith finally got a much changed Ballinlough side off the mark in the 8th minute after some quick thinking by Simon Deevy with a short free. Blackhall Gaels took the next two scores, one from a free and one from play to leave them with a five point lead. 

Harry Ryan, making his Senior debut for the club, and no doubt having his Grandad Tom smiling down on him, got Ballinlough’s second point from a free and the visitors were to rely heavily on his free taking abilities to garner scores in this game. 

Just when it looked like Ballinlough might be getting a foothold in the opening half, Blackhall Gaels went on a scoring spree taking the next three scores, two points and crucially a second goal in the 18th minute to push the hosts into a commanding lead of 2-05 to Ballinlough’s 0-02. Harry Ryan reduced the deficit by one with a pointed free in the 22nd minute but Blackhall won the restart and sent the ball sailing over the other bar within seconds.

That was to be their final score of the half with Ballinlough applying some more sustained pressure in the closing moments with Lorcan Maguire doing some serious donkey work and playing a super ball into the square, from which Mark McCullen was unlucky to see his shot blaze agonisingly wide in the 25th minute.

But Ballinlough’s persistence paid off when in the 34th minute of the first half they scored a wonderful team goal, with Lorcan Maguire, Benji Smith and Simon Deevy all linking up well to get the ball to Mark McCullen once again, and this time he made no mistake with his effort comfortably beating the Blackhall Gaels netminder. That was to be the last score of the half with Blackhall Gaels taking a six point lead into the half time break on a score line of 2-06 to Ballinlough’s 1-03.

Ballinlough started the second half much sharper with Harry Ryan taking the first three scores, all from frees, to reduce the deficit to three points by the 43rd minute. But Blackhall Gaels got themselves motoring again with a free in the 45th minute and another point from play three minutes later. 

The introduction of Peader Byrne from the bench gave Ballinlough a boost and they began to take the game to the hosts with more intent. Lorcan Maguire got himself on the scoreboard with a point in the 50th minute to leave just four points between the teams.

There was plenty of talk before the throw-in about the new rules and how they might have an impact on the game, and while thankfully we didn’t see any sin-binning, it took all of 51 minutes before we saw the first successful advanced mark being implemented,and it was the home side who took the score from the free shot. 

Blackhall Gaels added another point from play to stretch their lead before landing the killer blow with their third goal of the evening in the 55th minute that left Ballinlough trailing by ten points. 

There was a nice moment in the final stages of the game when two Ballinlough substitutes combined for the final score of the game. Hugh Briody, making his adult debut for the club, fought hard to win possession and then rounded his man before playing a lovely floating ball into his old mentor and now team mate Ronan McGuinness who clipped the ball over the bar with ease. 

Shortly after that score, referee Owen Ganly blew the final whistle with Blackhall Gaels claiming victory on a score line of 3-11 to 1-08. 

With a few regulars out of action today, there were plenty of new faces on the Ballinlough team, and a number of other players had the opportunity to stake their claim for a shot at first team football for the coming season. Although the score line wasn’t in our favour today, the experience of tough physical football will do these lads no harm in the long run. 

Ballinlough: J.O’Higgins, J.Farrelly, P.Muldoon, M.Farrell, D.Caffery, J. Baugh, B.Smith(0-01), M.Geraghty, T.McCullen, M.McCullen (1-00), L.Maguire (0-01), H.Ryan (0-05(5f), A.Lynch, S.Deevy, J.Lynch

Subs: S.Tunney for A.Lynch (H/T), J.Casserly for J.Lynch (H/T), P.Byrne for J.Farrelly (39), H.Briody for J.Baugh (43), R.McGuinness (0-01) for L.Maguire(54)

Referee: Owen Ganly

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