JFC: Ballinlough ease their way into the last four

Ballinlough's Oisin McDermott

Ballinlough 1-01-12 (17) Nobber 0-02-06 (10)

Ballinlough and Nobber made the relatively short trip to a pristine Moynalty on Friday evening, and the host club had everything under control with plenty of stewards, a great gang of women selling teas, coffees and treats under the gazebo, a match programme and plenty of good parking !!

Nobber opened proceedings with a point from play in the first minute and while Ballinlough had plenty of the ball early on, they were guilty of some very poor shot selection and kicking the ball into the opponent keepers' hands, even whilst against a stiff breeze, it wasn’t bad enough to justify those early short balls.

Ballinlough had goalkeeper Senan McDermott to thank when a Nobber two-point effort dropped short but Senan was on hand to punch strongly to safety in the fifth minute.

The sides were level when good running from Eoin Briody resulted in a Ballinlough free with Tom Shine pointing in the eighth minute.

More short balls from Ballinlough meant they never capitalised on their opportunities, but thankfully they were denying Nobber down the other end with Robert O’Brien, in his Championship debut, performing exceptionally well, and it was from his interception in the 10th minute the ball was worked forward and a free in awarded for Ballinlough.

With the ball sitting outside the two point arc, up stepped Oisin McDermott and while the angle was tricky and the distance was long, McDermott stroked the ball beautifully and sent it over the bar to raise the Orange flag in the 11th minute and leave Ballinlough leading by two points.

That lead was short lived as Nobber hit back with a Dale Larkin two pointer from a free following a breach of the 3v3 rule, but Balinlough hit the front again with a Tom Shine free when Mark McCullens driving run caused panic in the Nobber defence in the 17th minute.

To their credit Nobber kept attacking but excellent hassling from Ballinlough resulted in the ball being over turned time and time  again and from that work rate Darren O’Higgins won his team a free which Harry Ryan duly converted in the 23rd minute.

A soft free for Nobber in the 24th minute when Mark McCullen looked to have competed cleanly for a kick-out resulted in a free in for Nobber and with Mark probably protesting a little too robustly, Referee Peter Skelly was more than happy to bring the ball up and out again for a two point score, which Dale Larkin duly dispatched in the 24th minute.

Thankfully the 3v3 breach worked both ways and Ballinlough were the benefactors as Nobber broke the rules and from a quick free in midfield the ball was worked forward and Seanie Geraghty fired over in the 28th minute to leave Ballinlough leading by one.

A Nobber point from play in the 29th minute restored parity and that was how the scoreline remained as Referee Peter Skelly blew the half time whistle with the sides all square on a scoreline of 0-06 apiece.

From the restart Ballinlough took the lead from a Tom Shine free in the 32nd minute.

A Nobber point in the 35th minute leveled the sides again but Ballinlough had a secret weapon in their armory as Daire Shine was sprung from the bench in the 33rd minute and with his first touch he stroked the ball over the bar to put Ballinlough back in front again.

The men in red extended their lead a few minutes later when Shine was instrumental in getting the ball to Mark McCullen, and the big midfielder had all the time in the world to pick his shot as Nobber failed to close him down, and McCullen sent over an excellent point from play in the 38th minute.

A Nobber point from play and a pointed free in the 46th minute levelled the sides once more before Darren O’Higgins fisted over in the 49th minute… some people want to ban this type of score and to be honest the Ballinlough sharpshooter was in on goal but opted for the safety of the point to put his side ahead.

While some spectators were still scratching their heads as to how O’Higgins didn’t take the goal on offer, the man himself had already ploughed on, and from the next play Luke Harte won possession, before very calmly taking a massive hit that would have floored bigger men, but Luke was like his moniker, full of heart, and he bounced back up before laying the ball off to Darren O’Higgins.

On this occasion a simple point score was on offer but this is how O’Higgins is different to the majority of attacking players in this Championship, as he took possession and set off on a marauding and mazing run before sending a bullet of a shot towards the Nobber net, rattling the onion bag in the 50th minute.

A Tom Shine free in the 52nd minute left five points between the sides before Lorcan McEntee responded with a point from play for Nobber.

But some exceptional defending from Conor Rennicks and Sean Geraghty ensured the ball was protected and worked forward and from that play Daire Shine fired over in the 56th minute.

Another point for Shine left six points between the sides and while he was slotting them over one end he wasn’t too shy about getting back and helping out his defence too, and when a desperate Nobber high ball was pumped into the square amongst a sea of bodies, it was Daire Shine who emerged with the ball and got his team out of danger.

With the game all but over and Ballinlough well in control there was time for just one more moment of Daire Shine brilliance as he played an exquisite pass forward to the on rushing Luke Harte, and the youngster who is really making a name for himself with his cameo appearances from the bench, fired over in the 62nd minute to secure victory for his side.

So when Referee Peter Skelly blew the full time whistle, Ballinlough took the win, and their place in the Semi-Finals, on a scoreline of 1-14 to Nobber’s 0-10.

Ballinlough Team: Senan McDermott, Conor Rennicks, Robert O’Brien,Conor Fleming, Ferghal Gibney, Oisin McDermott(0-02(one 2ptF)), Sean Geraghty(0-01), Eoin Briody, Mark McCullen(0-01), Jack Connell, Kit Óg Lynch, Darren O’Higgins(1-01), Harry Ryan(0-01(1f)), Tom Shine(0-04(4f)), Brandon Brunton

Subs: Daire Shine(0-03) for J.Connell 33’, Luke Harte (0-01) for B.Brunton 42’, Mick Geraghty for M.McCullen 54’, Benji Smith for K.Óg Lynch 57’

Referee: Peter Skelly