Ballymartle 2-19
Ballinhassig 3-11
JJ HURLEY REPORTS
BALLYMARTLE ultimately proved too strong for Ballinhassig in the South East U21B football championship final on Sunday in Minane Bridge.
In a game played in a very competitive spirit, it was the Riverstick lads’ ability to pull away in the final 12 minutes that proved the difference, as Ballinhassig landed six points to a single reply from the defending champions.
Ballinhassig looked to be in all sorts of trouble as they conceded two goals in the opening 13 minutes when Ronan Sheehan and Matthew Higgins both rattled the net.
The industrious Patrick O’Regan had Ballinhassig’s third score with a free, before Luke Farley set up Jack Griffin for a point as the tallies read 2-1 to 0-4 on 15 minutes.
Almost immediately Higgins nearly goaled again but Charlie O’Donovan saved brilliantly as he tipped the shot over the bar’ it was one of three outstanding saves the Ballinhassig shot-stopper made in the opening 30 minutes.
Two more points from Leo Hennessy and Sheehan put clear water between the sides but a life-line arrived in the form of a penalty for the Blues, and Gavin Harrington made no mistake.
An exchange of several white flags between the sides, including a beauty from Sean Lombard, left the scores at 1-5 to 2-6 after 27 minutes.
However, two goals in three minutes for Ballinhassig from O’Regan and Harrington to a Ben Lynch point left the half-time score at 3-6 to 2-7 in favour of Ballinhassig.
An early salvo of four points from Ballymartle, including some superb kicking from AJ Nash, saw them back in the lead. A Matthew Higgins brace now had the contenders on 2-13 as Ballinhassig could only muster two points from O’Regan and Harrington as their tally read 3-8.
Sensing the tie was slipping away, the Ballinhassig duo of O’Regan and Harrington had their side level on 48 minutes with a point apiece but Ballymartle turned up the heat, hitting six points in the remaining minutes to a single Ballinhassig reply, to win by five and claim the championship title.
Scorers
Ballymartle: M Higgins 1-5 (4f); R Sheehan 1-3 (2f); AJ Nash 0-4 (3f); B Lynch 0-2; R Deasy, E Deasy, B Lynch, L Keohane Kiely, L Hennessy 0-1 each.
Ballinhassig: G Harrington 2-3 (1 pen, 2f); P O'Regan 1-4 (4f); D Deasy, R Harrington, S Lombard, J Griffin 0-1 each.
Ballymartle: E McDonald; C Deasy, R Stewart, K Sheehan; S Looney, C Lordan, O Coleman; L Hennesy, R Deasy; E Deasy, R Sheehan, A J Nash; M Higgins, B Lynch, L Keohane Kiely.
Subs: C Dineen for O Coleman (ht), F O'Keeffe for K Sheehan (42), J O'Sullivan for R Sheehan (60), K Good for Ben Lynch (60).
Ballinhassig: C O'Donovan; E Deasy, C Deasy, M O'Toole; L Kirby, S Cussen, J Griffin; L Farley, A Cussen; S Lombard, K Dempsey, P O'Regan; B Connolly, G Harrington, D Deasy.
Subs: J Ahern for L Kirby (22), R Harrington for B Connolly (38), A O'Toole for M O' Toole (58), J O'Mahony for D Deasy (60).
Referee: Brian Coniry (Crosshaven).
