St. Michaels 0-17, Ballinabrackey 0-07

St. Michaels maintained their impressive start to the season with this entertaining and comprehensive victory over a gallant Ballinabrackey side on their home patch in Carlanstown on Thursday evening. The Carlanstown Kilbeg combination mean business this year, you could sense it on the sideline from the roar of their pre-match huddle and it didn't take them long to settle into the task on hand with a pace more akin to championship fare.

Ballinabrackey were well up for this one especially in the opening half and trailed by just one point at the interval having played the majority of the half with 14 men after losing their corner forward to a straight red after only 11 minutes. The visitors made the better start with two points (1f) in the opening five minutes but St. Michaels responded well with the next four points on the trot courtesy of Ronan Lynch 0-2 (1f), Oran Meehan and Shane McDonnell 0-1 each.

Ballinabrackey reduced the deficit to a single point from a free on 14 minutes and they drew level after finishing off a good up-field move with a point on 22 minutes. Matters swung back in favour of the hosts when Ray Reilly coolly split the posts to put his side one point to the good at the break, 0-5 to 0-4.

St. Michaels produced a cracker of a second half starting off with a Shane McDonnell point after just 30 seconds, Ballinabrackey followed this up with a point, however the writing was on the wall for Ballinabrackey when they lost a second player when their no 9 received his marching orders following a second yellow on 41 minutes.

By this stage shoulders and tackles were coming thick and fast from both sides however the visitors began to struggle and could not get to grips with the quick, accurate deliveries of a now rampant St. Michaels side where Peter O'Connell, Oran Meehan and substitute Ciaran Lynch were on song and who between them fired home 11 of their sides second half tally of 12 points, one of which was a gem of a point from the boot of Peter O'Connell who sweetly struck it on the run from 20 meters out from along the sideline.

David Lynch, J.B & Felim O'Reilly and Ronan Cassidy all did trojan work in the middle third throughout this match while the home defence all performed admirably giving nothing away especially when Ballinabrackey went hunting for goals in the final quarter. Walterstown now await St. Michaels in round 8.

St. Michaels: Darren O'Connell, Alan Reilly, Jamie Reilly, Thomas O'Brien; Ronan Christopher Drew, Matthew Halpin, Ronan Cassidy; Peter O'Connell (0-4), Felim O'Reilly; J.B. O'Reilly, Davy Lynch Ronan Lynch (0-2); Ray Reilly (0-1), Oran Meehan (0-3), Shane McDonnell (0-2). Subs: Ciaran Lynch (0-5) for Matthew Halpin 30 minutes. Referee: Paul Mooney.

Report and photo Pascal Reilly.     

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