Nothing lovely about Leitrim as Ballivor say goodnight

Goodnight Ballivor, the dream is over. Any aspirations of securing a place in the All-Ireland Club JFC final were firmly put to bed at Carrick-on-Shannon on Sunday as Ballivor were overwhelmed by Galway champions Naomh Padraig, Clonbur. After 11 unbeaten championship games in 2011, Ballivor faltered in their first outing of the new year as Clonbur got off to a bright start and punished some very slack defending. Sunday's performance was so unlike Ballivor. Throughout their successful run in the Meath and Leinster JFC the south Meath side had been prolific in front of the posts and stingy at the back, on Sunday they were the opposite. They registered 11 wides, dropped six other efforts short of the target and were dominated in almost every sector by a vastly superior, more cohesive and determined Clonbur outfit. It was shocking to see how woefully inept Ballivor were in front of the posts. At times it looked like they had enjoyed the Christmas festivities too much as many of their players struggled for fluidity. The normal attacking threat of prolific scorers like Padraig Geoghegan, Mairtin Doran and Adam Gannon managed just one point between them. Noel Kirby, Fergus McMahon and, in the second-half, Brian Perry played second fiddle at midfield, as Éamon De Valera's great grandson Eamonn O Cuiv lorded that sector and pushed Ballivor onto the back foot. Defensively Ballivor were also stretched as the rampant style of the Galway men saw them with plenty of overlaps available and it was only some woeful shooting on their behalf that kept their tally to a meagre seven scores. Ballivor did defend doggedly and forced Clonbur into errors. Kevin McKeown made a couple of fine saves, but Clonbur were always quickest to react and they had enough in reserve to seal the deserved win. The ploy of dropping corner-forward Gerry Kyne into their full-back line worked a treat for Clonbur and with David Wallis, Trevor Lydon and Fergal Kinneavy galloping forward impressively to join Liam Kearney, Pat Lambe and Trim school teacher Eoin Joyce in attack the Connacht champions were exciting going forward. The few decent attacking moves that Clonbur managed to string together were the odd highlights of what was an otherwise deplorable game which was littered with mistakes from both sides and some terrible shooting. After seven dull opening minutes during which David Raleigh, who was pulled further outfield by Gerry Kyne's deployment to defence, and Doran kicked wides, Clonbur eventually opened the scoring. Gerry Kyne's interception at the back kick-started a move which involved Liam Diskin, Alan Kyne and Lambe and finished with Brian Keane finding the back of the net to boost Clonbur to a 1-0 to 0-0 lead. Three minutes later Joyce, who does his midweek training with Navan O'Mahonys, showed his class to stretch Naomh Padraig's lead with a brilliant point from distance before Gannon eventually opened Ballivor's account with a point following decent play from Sean Heavey (pictured) and Geoghegan. However, that proved to be Ballivor's only score for over 30 minutes as Clonbur dominated proceedings and wrapped up their place in next month's Croke Park decider. Three minutes after Gannon's score Clonbur had their second goal. An outstanding pass from Lambe picked out Lydon on the run, his blistering shot was brilliantly stopped by McKeown, but with the Ballivor defence slow to react Walter Holleran had the simple task of tapping the ball to the net for a 2-1 to 0-1 lead. The Galway side could have had their third goal three minutes later when Lambe reacted quickest to Joyce's point attempt coming back off the upright, but Heavey got in a crucial block. Joyce did find his range early in the second-quarter with a converted free, but Ballivor's glaring inadequacies in front of the posts saw Gannon drop two short range frees into the waiting hands of Gerry Kyne. Wallis also hit the woodwork for Clonbur before Doran replicated Gannon's earlier efforts and dropped a point attempt short. Gannon did have a goal chance in first-half injury time, but his snap shot was well saved by Paraic Walsh as Clonbur took a 2-2 to 0-1 lead into the break. Ballivor's hope of a bright start to the second-half came undone after just two minutes when O Cuiv's poor point attempt dipped over McKeown and rested in the net for a third goal. Two minutes later another Joyce free, after a foul by Brendan McLoughlin on Lambe, made it 3-3 to 0-1. Points from Killian Canavan and Joe McLaughlin in a 90-second spell gave Ballivor a glimmer of hope, but it was forlorn as Clonbur shut up shop. Lambe closed Clonbur's account with 15 minutes remaining with a fisted point as Ballivor spent the final quarter going for a goal that might spark a miraculous recovery. Kirby went close to finding the net on two occasions and Clayton Keegan also flashed wide, but it was never going to be Ballivor's day as they faded badly and chose the penultimate game in their quest for All-Ireland glory to produce their worst display in three years. Clonbur - P Walsh; L Diskin, D Kyne, S Holleran; D Wallis, T Lydon, F Kinneavy; A Kyne, E O Cuiv (1-0); L Kearney, P Lambe (0-1), W Holleran (1-0); G Kyne, B Keane (1-0), E Joyce (0-3 two frees). Subs - S O'Donnell for S Holleran 55 mins, D O'Donnell for Kearney 60m. Ballivor - K McKeown; D Raleigh, T Fox, B Perry; B McLoughlin, S Heavey, S Corrigan; N Kirby, F McMahon; J McLaughlin (0-1), C Keegan, P Geoghegan; K Canavan (0-1), M Doran, A Gannon (0-1). Subs - R Sherrock for McMahon half-time, K Keoghan for Gannon 51 mins, P Kelly for McLaughlin 51m, T Raleigh for Corrigan 60m. Referee - Shaun McLaughlin (Donegal).