McCullen strikes late as Ballinlough battle back to win

Behind at the break the 'Lough show great hunger to overtake Syddan

Susan Farrell

Ballinlough and Syddan both did well to make it to a rain soaked Moynalty in plenty of time for this mid-week Junior Football Championship quarter-final last evening but they need not have rushed as a malfunction with the floodlights saw the throw in time delayed by 20 minutes.

Credit to the Moynalty club though, that was the only blip on what was otherwise a perfectly well run event with the place well stewarded, match programmes available at the gate, a coffee truck at the ready and most importantly the pitch holding up immensely well despite the deluge of rain that had fallen and continued to fall throughout the contest.

As it turned both sides served up an very close-fought affair with Ballinlough prevailing by the minumum, 0-10 to 0-9 with Mark McCullen firing over the winning point.

Syddan got off to the brightest of starts taking the opening score in the first minute with a point from play, and they were to be further boosted when Ballinlough were on the receiving end of an early Black Card, Daire Shine forced to take his place on the sideline for ten minutes for a well spotted infringement by referee Joesph Curran.

Ballinlough to their credit absorbed the loss and kept the damage at an absolute minimum, and while they failed to score themselves in that period, they also held Syddan, who were playing with a significant wind at their backs, scoreless too, the next score of the game coming a full 14 minutes after the first score of the game, Syddan with a point from play.

With the aforementioned wind behind them, the men in green and yellow tagged on a third point without reply in the 16th minute before Ballinlough finally got off the mark with a Harry Ryan free in the 19th minute.

Both teams were guilty of handling errors due to the horrendous weather conditions but there was only one team scoring consistently with Syddan, and in particular Daire Rowe who was in scintillating form in the opening 30 minutes alongside brother Cormac, adding a further three points to their tally, all from play.

With scores for Ballinlough at a premium in the first half it was vital they added something more to the scoreboard and they did so on the stroke of half time when Tom Shine carried the ball towards the sideline and away from goal but he knew what he was at as he created the angle and sent over a lovely point from play in the 30th minute.

So when referee Joseph Curran who was fair, consistent and literally on the ball, blew the half time whistle Ballinlough trailed on a scoreline of 0-2 to Syddan’s 0-7.

They often say football is a game of two half’s and thus was to be the case in this contest. The men in red came out fighting but they couldn’t make it count on the scoreboard early on with a free dropped short and a point effort sent wide of the posts.

Thankfully things did finally click for Ballinlough when Seánie Geraghty, assisted by the wind, landed a monster point in the 35th minute.

That score was to be the catalyst for a Ballinlough revival, spearheaded by none other than Tom Shine, fresh from his exploits two days earlier when his 1-12 helped Kilskyre/Moylagh secure their place in the Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-final.

Shine kick-started the scoring with a pointed free in the 41st minute before following that up with two further points by the 46th minute to leave just one point between the sides.

A Syddan free in the 48th minute gave them their two point lead back but Ballinlough were more than capable to match them on the scoreboard now, with Oisin McDermott landing a perfect 45’ in the 49th minute despite the sheets of rain that were falling all around him.

Syddan kept battling and earned themselves a free in the 54th minute to again leave Ballinlough behind by two points but when the time came for level heads up stepped Daire Shine who pointed from a free a moment later to keep Ballinlough dreams alive.

Minutes flew past with little action from either side until the 59th minute when substitute Kit Óg Lynch collected the ball, turned his man and let fly an absolute belter over the bar to level the sides…now everyone in Ballinlough already knows this guys potential, but to see him knocking over a massive leveller towards the end of a game of such importance with such nonchalance was a beautiful sight to behold.

With stoppages for injuries and substitutions both sides knew there was still plenty of time for a winner, it was just going to come down to that age old adage of who wanted it most.

Both teams squandered late chances and with the rain still pelting down the massive crowd in attendance didn’t know if they wanted to see a late winner or stick it out for extra time and the possibility of penalties at this stage !!

As it turned out the question was answered for them when a Syddan kick-out went astray and Mark McCullen collected possession a nice distance from goal. Spying the 'keeper off his line and with time running out, only Mark can tell you if he intended to chip the keeper for a goal or not, but either way the ball was too high to go under the bar but was accurate enough to hop over it to give Ballinlough the lead for the first time in the 62nd minute.

With referee Curran playing a further three minutes of play after that score there was still time for a Syddan equaliser, but the Ballinlough defense, though battered and bruised, held firm and just about did enough to protect that vital one point lead.

So when the final whistle finally sounded in the 65th minute there were scenes of jubilation amongst the Ballinlough faithful, the general consensus being it was worth risking getting pneumonia to see their beloved side come away with the win and a place in the semi-final!!

Manager Conn Cleary will be delighted with the heart and determination shown by his charges, but as the saying goes there is no rest for the wicked and the lads will be back in action this coming Sunday when we face Clann na nGael in a semi-final showdown in Kilmainham.

Three massive championship games for the majority of this team in seven days but with two wins from two big games so far, the lads will be hoping to make it three in a row on Sunday despite the fixture congestion !!

Ballinlough - O.McDermott(0-1 45’), C.Fleming, J.Connell, R.Farrell, D.Caffery, S.Geraghty(0-1), E.Briody, T.McCullen, L.Maguire, B.Smith, T.Shine(0-4 (2f)), D.Galligan, M.McCullen(0-1), D.Shine(0-1(1f)), H.Ryan (0-1)

Subs - K.Óg Lynch(0-1) for H.Ryan 44’

R.McGuinness for D.Galligan 62’

M.Farrell for R.Farrell 63.’

Referee - Joseph Curran.