Summerhill scrape by Bracks to secure opening round win

It certainly wasn't pretty, but Summerhill won't care less as they opened the defence of their SFC title with a nervous, hard-earned victory over a determined Ballinabrackey at Trim on Sunday.

Having lost to Summerhill by 12 points in the A FL Div 1 final just over two weeks earlier, Ballinabrackey came within a whisker of pulling off the shock of the round by toppling the champions.

However, with the life half scared out of them Summerhill let out a huge sigh of relief late on and kicked the last two scores deep into injury-time to take the spoils.

Summerhill will reflect on a desperately disappointing showing that saw them poor in their execution, kicking 14 wides, and lacking ideas moving forward.

However, it is an age-old cliche, but a very true one - good teams always find a way - and while form is temporary Summerhill will bounce back from this poor showing.

For Ballinabrackey it will feel like a huge opportunity lost. They executed their defensive game plan to near perfection. They were disciplined, dogged and determined and made life very uncomfortable for the champions.

Summerhill also packed their defence when forced to retreat and that made for a dreadful game that will have been long erased from the memories by the time the supporters left the St Loman's car park.

It could have been a memorable occasion for the Bracks if Damien Carroll's shot with the outside of his right in the 62nd minute had just a little more juice on it.

If that ball dropped over the bar instead of being plucked from the woodwork by Summerhill 'keeper Sean Muddiman then it would have edged Ballinabrackey into a 0-9 to 0-8 lead and serious questions would have been asked of the champions. However 'if' is a very big word.

As it was was, the shot dropped short and Muddiman launched a swift counter-attack that ended with Eoghan Frayne curling a brilliant point between the posts from a difficult angle. It was his only score from play and a crucial one.

That point broke Ballinabrackey's resolve. They did launch one last attempt to find an equaliser, but their attack broke down and Summerhill countered again with John Lavelle applying the final touch for the insurance score with the last kick of the game.

Up to those tense, exciting, cut-loose closing moments this contest was dire.

Summerhill led 0-4 to 0-3 after one of the poorest 30 minutes of championship football of what wasn't a great weekend.

The teams were tied three times in that opening period with Carroll (twice with the outside of his right boot) and a Danny Quinn free countering scores from Conor Frayne and two Kevin Ryan peaches.

Summerhill took the lead for the second time just before the break with Conor Frayne switching from his left to his right to tap over and make it 0-4 to 0-3.

As the old saying goes, 'the first-half was even, the second-half was even worse'.

Both sides were guilty of squandering chances.

Summerhill doubled their wide tally with another seven wayward efforts. They also dropped a couple short, hit the upright from what is usually a tap over for Eoghan Frayne and wasted half decent goal opportunities.

Ballinabrackey were also guilty of squandering chances as Quinn missed a free and decent attacking moves broke down with one careless pass too many.

It took seven minutes for Summerhill to stretch their lead with Kevin Ryan on the mark again to make it 0-5 to 0-3.

The third quarter came and went with no further scores before Quinn and Ryan (with a half goal chance) exchanged points to maintain the two-point gap, 0-6 to 0-4.

Sensing the game getting away from them Ballinabrackey hit a bit of a purple patch and hit three of the next four scores with two frees from Seamus Curry sandwiching a Quinn point and a reply from an Eoghan Frayne free to make it 0-7 each with five minutes remaining.

Ballinabrackey looked to have shot themselves in the foot when they got turned over in their own defence, but after Conor Frayne rounded stranded 'keeper Dean Pluck his path to goals was blocked by Conor Ennis and the Summerhill man fired over.

A minute later Carroll produced a remarkable catch to claim a mark and was subsequently fouled. Curry converted the free to restore parity for the fifth time.

Ballinabrackey sensed blood and went for the win, but as Carroll's late, late effort dropped short Summerhill took full advantage and closed out the win with a huge sense of relief rather than satisfaction.

Summerhill - Sean Muddiman; Iarla Hughes, Ronan Ryan, John Lavelle (0-1); Adam McDonnell, Ross Ryan, Jack Bannon; Adam Flanagan, Micheal Byrne; David Larkin, Eoghan Frayne (0-2 one free), Kevin Ryan (0-4); Conor Frayne (0-3), Kevin Lyons, Sean Dalton. Subs - Diarmuid McCabe for Lyons, Barry Dardis for Dalton both 36m, Padhraig Geraghty for Byrne 45m.

Ballinabrackey - Dean Pluck; Conor Ennis, Chris O'Connor, Adam O'Brien; Mark Coffey, Nicky Judge, Sean Fitzpatrick; Damien Carroll (0-2), Michael Kearney; Niall Smullen, David Carroll, Sean Bannon; Sean Kavanagh, Danny Quinn (0-3 two frees), Barry Thompson. Subs - Gavin Quinn for Thompson half-time, Seamus Curry (0-3 frees) for Bannon 44m, Aidan Fitzpatrick for Kearney 53m.

Referee - David Coldrick (Blackhall Gaels).