Ballivor regroup to become a real force
November 27, 2010Back in 2002 Ballivor shocked Navan O'Mahonys in their bid to step back up to the senior ranks when Ray McKeown fired over a late '45' to earn them a dramatic victory in the intermediate final, but a year later they were sent down to the middle grade again when Kilmainhamwood beat them in the SFC relegation shootout.
Ballivor lost intermediate quarter-finals to Duleek in 2004 and Syddan in 2005, but went into a decline after that and surrendered their status in the grade in 2008 when Oldcastle defeated them in the relegation final. They settled into the JFC satisfactorily when reaching the quarter-finals last year where they lost to Moylagh.
With a year of experience in the grade behind them and the return of their Kildalkey contingent Ballivor went into this year's title race as one of the favourites and the team co-managed by Paddy Doyle and Pat O'Halloran justified that tag when they went through the group stages with a 100 per cent winning record.
Boardsmill endured a difficult championship and they proved no match for Ballivor in the first round at Longwood where the winners were well on the road to a winning start when they led by 2-5 to 0-1 at the interval after Mairtin Doran and Killian Canavan had scored the goals.
Derek Doran and Dan Fagan added to the goal tally in the second period and Ballivor, who included All-Ireland medal winner Conor Martin in goal, were in front by 4-16 to 0-1 at the finish.
It was always likely to be a great deal tougher when they played Donaghmore/Ashbourne in the second round at Walterstown, but despite conceding a second minute goal Ballivor were ahead by 0-9 to 1-1 at the break. The east Meath team battled well when behind, but the performances of full-back Joe McLoughlin and centre-back Brain Perry were significant as Ballivor won by 0-14 to 1-4. Clayton Keegan was their top scorer with four points.
It took a strong second half performance to see off Navan O'Mahonys' second string at Dunsany. The town side led by 0-6 to 0-3 at the interval, but Ballivor improved significantly after that and aided by a Calvin Ryan goal they won by 1-10 to 0-10.
When a fourth successive group win followed against Bective at Boardsmill, where it finished 2-8 to 0-9, Ballivor were well on their way to the knockout stages and they completed their divisional campaign with a 1-10 to 0-4 victory over Summerhill at Longwood.
Scores were few and far between in the first half, at the end of which Ballivor led by 0-4 to 0-2, but again they upped the tempo in the second period and a brilliant Derek Doran goal helped them to be well clear at the end.
An impressive victory in the quarter-final against St Brigid's at Athboy left Ballivor just one step away from a place in the decider. They started very positively when Killian Canavan and Kevin Kelly scored goals in the opening 10 minutes, but led by only 2-5 to 1-5 at the interval.
St Brigid's reduced the deficit to two points on the restart, but Ballivor held them scoreless subsequently and took over completely. A third goal from Adam Gannon sealed a 3-7 to 1-6 win and a place in the last four against the team which had eliminated them a step earlier the previous year, Moylagh.
This time Ballivor got their revenge as a fortuitous goal from Derek Doran eight minutes into the second half made all the difference in a 1-10 to 0-10 victory at Athboy. Points from Mairtin Doran (three), Adam Gannon (two), Ray McKeown, Noel Kirby and full-back Joe McLoughlin gave them a 0-8 to 0-3 half-time lead after they had played some superb attacking football.
Ballivor had a lucky escape before the break when Justin O'Reilly was wide with a goal chance, but they defended very well in the second period. Moylagh reduced the gap to three points, but a Canavan point and that Doran goal pushed them clear again. However, the men from the north-west of the county weren't finished.
Goalkeeper Martin twice came to Ballivor's rescue, but Moylagh reduced the deficit to three points again. McKeown edged Ballivor four clear, before Tommy O'Reilly had the final say with a point at the other end.
Ballinabrackey defeated Dunsany by a point in the other semi-final and the JFC decider acted as a very entertaining curtain-raiser to the magnificent senior showdown between Skryne and Seneschalstown.
Pat O'Halloran, the man who guided Kildalkey to hurling glory, played a key role in the preparation of the Ballivor team this year and hopes were high that they could complete the job. However, it wasn't to be as Ballinabrackey's three goals helped them to a 3-4 to 0-11 victory.
Ballinabrackey had been scoring goals with consistency in the knockout stages and have a tendency to concede few. That's how it worked out in the final and if Ballivor had managed even one they would have won. The significant period came between the 48th and 61st minutes when Paschal Keelaghan's team outscored them by 2-1 to 0-0.
Ballivor started encouragingly when top-scorer Mairtin Doran got the first two points, the first of them being helped over the crossbar by Ballinabrackey corner-back Kevin Darby, but they conceded the first goal on nine minutes when Damien Carroll netted from a penalty.
Points from Mairtin Doran and Ray McKeown (free) had Ballivor ahead, but it was all square at the interval, 0-6 to 1-3, as Mairtin Doran continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Ballivor scored the first three points of the second half, the best of them coming from Derek Doran, but Carroll's second goal on 48 minutes had Ballinabrackey level again.
They were ahead when Danny Quinn got their only second half point 10 minutes later and they missed subsequent chances before Quinn pushed them four clear with their third goal a minute into injury time. There was still approximately four minutes remaining, but all Ballivor could manage were a couple of pointed frees from Mairtin Doran.
He contributed seven points, four of them from frees, McKeown got two and Clayton Keegan and Derek Doran got one each. Ballivor scored 11 times to Ballinabrackey's seven, but unlike in the senior final which followed on this occasion goals did win the game.
Paddy Doyle may have been the oldest (or should that be least young?) man playing football in the county this year. He's 48, but he lined out in a Junior C Championship game against Wolfe Tones. He acknowledged that it was time to move on after the junior final defeat, but must have been cursing the team's luck on the injury front.
"Kevin Kelly and Tony Fox missed the final with injuries," he said. "Tony got injured playing hurling and hasn't played with us since the O'Mahonys' game. Kevin injured his knee in the quarter-final against St Brigid's.
"Sean Corrigan had a knee operation and is only back. He came on in the final. Clayton Keegan dislocated his finger and had an operation in Tullamore Hospital four days before the final. We strapped it up and he played at midfield. He collided with a Ballinabrackey player in the second half and came off, but he went back on again.
"Suffering injuries like that is unfortunate and they affected us, but that happens. With so many lads playing hurling injuries are inevitable, but we can't complain about that. They want to play both games.
"From the team which played Moylagh in the quarter-final last year, three - Richie Sherrock, Brendan Canavan and Ray Massey - went to Australia. But we had the Kildalkey lads back this year which was great. They are fantastic lads. They all grew up together and are the best of friends."
Ballivor won all their group matched and Paddy was just pleased to advance.
"We were happy to get out of the group," he added. "When you are up against teams like Navan O'Mahonys, Donaghmore/Ashbourne and Summerhill you know they are going to be strong. We had three second teams in our group. They are all training with senior players and that has to bring them on.
"We always had the upper hand in the quarter-final against St Brigid's. We were very good in the first half, but sat back in the second. Moylagh beat us by a point in the quarter-final last year, but they kicked a lot of wides and could have won by more. We weren't good enough.
"This year we had different players and were more up for the challenge. Dessie Hamilton had them in great order. We were flying in the first half. We were six points up with 10 minutes to go, but we dropped back. That brings teams onto you. They were nervous so close to the final, but we got through it.
"Ballinabrackey's blanket defence was very hard to play against in the final. That's the way they play. Goals win games! They didn't for Seneschalstown in the senior final, but they did for Ballinabrackey. We conceded only two goals in the championship up to the final, but we gave away three in the final.
"Against teams which play like that if you can take your points and not concede goals you can win. But it just didn't work out. They got only two points from play, but they have the cup. We accepted the defeat. Nobody died; we'll get on with it.
"Under-age football is very strong in the club. The average age of the team in the junior final was about 26. Our under-16s will arrive in four or five years and we'll have them all together. We have to be optimistic."
Paddy was keen to acknowledge the role Pat O'Halloran played this year.
"Pat did great work with the panel," he said. "He's fantastic, a gentleman. He takes everything in his stride. He knows what he's at."
The Ballivor team in the final was - C Martin; M Keogh, J McLoughlin, B McLoughlin; D Raleigh, B Perry, S Heavey; C Keegan (0-1), N Kirby; M Doran (0-7, 4 frees), R McKeown (0-2, both frees), K Canavan; D Doran (0-1), C Ryan, A Gannon. Subs - T Raleigh for McKeown, P Kelly for Kirby, S Corrigan for McLoughlin. Tweet
