Ballinlough 2-15 Kilbride 5-05

Ballinlough made the early morning trip to Kilbride this morning, and with numbers scarce, the level of commitment shown by some of the Ballinlough players to ensure this game went ahead must be commended, with no less than nine players who started yesterday togging out again this morning, along with Niall McDonnell who played a chunk of yesterdays game from the bench and had a starting berth this morning.

Perhaps with the early start coupled with the clocks going forward an hour, the visitors were slow to start allowing Kilbride to race into a two point lead after the first five minutes before Kit Óg Lynch settled Ballinlough with a point from play.

Further points were traded with Conor Rennicks converting a fine solo effort in the 11th minute before Kilbride found the net a moment later, the first of many goals this morning to give themselves a four point lead.

Kit Óg Lynch worked an indirect free well to fire over in the 14th minute, and the visitors were boosted when the Kilbride centre back was sent for a spell on the sidelines, Referee Declan Browne issuing a black card in the 16th minute.

The next Ballinlough score was a thing of beauty and showed how football really is a simple game when it’s done right,

as Alan Gibney sent forward a booming kick-out with Mark McCullen fetching it from the skies, before sending it on and in to Kit Óg Lynch, who collected cleanly, turned his man and fired over the bar in the 19th minute.

A point from Benji Smith in the 23rd minute reduced the deficit and the sides were to be level when Kit Óg Lynch, who was in scintillating form throughout the contest, fired over in the 25th minute.

Kilbride for their part were hungry for more goals, and after being restored back to their full compliment they cut through the Ballinlough defence only to be denied by an excellent block from the Warrior like Lorcan Maguire to deny a certain goal, I don’t know how many miles Lorcan has on the clock but if he was a car you’d have had to trade in for a new one long ago!

With the ball spilling back to a Kilbride man more interception was needed and in came Mark McCullen who stole the ball on his own 20m line and played an exquisite pass forward with Kit Óg Lynch once again turning his man and when he was one on one with the keeper he kept the ball nice and low to find the net giving Ballinlough a three point lead in the 28th minute.

With their tails up Ballinlough really should have headed in at the break with an advantage on the scoreboard but a poor pass in the 30th minute resulted in the ball being turned over and from there Kilbride worked it well up the field to finish to the net again on the stroke of half time.

So when Referee Declan Browne blew for the interval it was all square on a scoreline of Ballinlough’s 1-06 to Kilbrides 2-03.

With the wind at their backs in the second half Ballinlough started brightly, Mark McCullen accurate with the first attempt of the half before good work from Conor Rennicks’s overturned the Kilbride attack and with Eoghan McCabe linking up well, he set Kit Óg Lynch up for his fifth point of the game.

His sixth point wasn’t too far away as Brandon Brunton and the illustrious Peader Byrne combined well to allow Kit fire over again in the 36th minute. Mark McCullen then added a very classy point a moment later to give Ballinlough a four point lead, but again Kilbride hit back, their third goal coming in the 39th minute to leave just a point between the sides.

Two Kit Óg Lynch frees in quick succession, the second one curling in lovely to go over the bar, left three points in it before Peader Byrne got his name on the scoresheet as oft times before with a well taken point in the 47th minute.

A Kilbride free two minutes later left three points between them but Ballinlough were to extend their lead further when another fantastic kick-out from Alan Gibney bypassed three quarters of the pitch, and with Kit Óg Lynch finding Benji Smith, the Ballinlough stalwart finished to the net in the 50th minute to leave Ballinlough leading by six with ten minutes left.

Credit to Kilbride, they just don’t know how to quit and they kept on perseveringly, sending a high ball into the square in the 53rd minute which Alan Gibney looked to have under control, but the ball spilled and a Kilbride foot managed to direct it to the back of the net to give the home side a fighting chance in the closing stages.

Four minutes later they were level when a penalty was awarded by Referee Declan Browne and with it duly dispatched the game was well and truly in the melting pot. Those two goals were followed up with a point from play in the 59th minute and the Kilbride supporters and players must have surely thought they had won it, but Ballinlough had other ideas.

Good work to get the ball to the in-form men paid dividends as Benji Smith fired over in the 61st minute to level the sides and with three minutes of added time indicated there was time for someone to nab a winner.

From the kick-out the ball was won by Ballinlough and with Peader Byrne holding it in his hands he had the chance to win it, but his wayward shot never troubled the posts but crucially stayed in play, with Brandon Brunton collecting before being fouled.

Up stepped Kit Óg Lynch, and after missing a free from a similar distance in the first half, the young starlet made no mistake this time chipping the ball over the bar in the 63rd minute to give Ballinlough a one point victory, and capping of his own fine performance with a personal tally of 1-09 over the course of the game.

From the restart Referee Declan Browne blew the full time whistle with Ballinlough taking the win on a scoreline of 2-15 to Kilbrides 5-05.

An early start, a long trip and a lost hour but none of that will matter to Manager Jonnie Reilly as he led his men to a hard fought but much deserved win this morning. Next up for Ballinlough is a home game v Rathkenny next weekend.

Ballinlough: A.Gibney, J.McCullen, R.Farrell, N.McDonnell, L.Finnegan, L.Maguire, C.Rennicks(0-01), D.Galligan, M.McCullen(0-02), E.McCabe, B.Smith(1-02), C.Briody, B.Brunton, K.Óg Lynch(1-09(3f)), M.Tynan

Subs: P.Byrne (0-01) for M.Tynan H/T

Referee: Declan Browne

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