GAA: FBD Insurance County Intermediate Football Championship Semifinal
Ballina 2-11
Grangemockler/Ballyneale 0-12
Report: Joe Scully in Littleton
Ballina qualified for the Tipperary Intermediate Football final in just his first year in grade, thanks to a well-deserved five-point victory over Grangemockler/Ballyneale on Saturday.
A strong first quarter laid the foundations for victory, in which they won 2-5 to 0-3 after eighteen minutes. The win relied on a strong defensive performance and he was more clinical with his finishing, a fact confirmed by Ballina scoring with 72% of his efforts on target, compared to just 44% for Grangemockler. The South Side will certainly remember the game as a missed opportunity as they blew several chances throughout the game.
Ballina was the quickest out of the traps and went four points to zero in eleven minutes, thanks to goals from Steven O’Brien (2), Eoghan Power and a free kick from goalkeeper Jack Brady.
Grangemockler took off two minutes later with a Jamie Walsh strike from play, which was followed by a Mikie Lyons free kick in the 15th to make it 0-4 0-2.
Ballina responded with his first goal a minute later from the penalty spot with Steven O’Brien finishing with empathy, and although the keeper got a hand on the ball he couldn’t help it.
Grangemockler answered with a free kick point from Lyons to leave four points in it. However, Ballina got his second goal a minute later, when Grangemockler’s defense got lost as Michael Breen received the ball in midfield on acres of space and picked out Jack O’Mahoney, who raced into the defense before finishing off way. intelligent. Jack Brady then added his second free throw to put Ballina ahead 2-5 to 0-3 after twenty minutes and looking in total control.
However, Grangemockler began to take control of the proceedings for the rest of the half, as Ballina struggled to get out of his own half, and the Southside would score the final three points, with a John Lyons effort between two Mikies. Free from Lyon, to leave the score at halftime 2-5 to 0-6 in favor of Ballina.
Ballina regained the lead to six points after the restart thanks to a free kick by Steven O’Brien. However, Grangemockler would take control again and score the next four points, all from play. The first was a shot from John Lyons, which was followed by another from Jamie Walsh with the goal at his mercy but going over the crossbar from close range. Manus McFadden got the next point after some good collective play, and they again Colm Lyons after Jack Brady lost possession by running off the ball.
Steven O’Brien countered for Ballina with another free kick to put his side three ahead, but Grangemockler answered with two Jamie Walsh touchdowns in the game and a Mikie Lyons free kick to drop just one point in the 43rd minute.
However, that would be his last touchdown as Ballina once again regained control of the game, mainly thanks to an inspiring Ben King touchdown touchdown in the 46th minute, a touchdown that really seemed to pump his team up. .
This was followed by another big point in the 51st minute from a 45-yard free Jack Brady near the sideline again.
A big moment came in the 57th minute when Grangemockler’s Mikie Lyons missed a free straight in front of goal from the 21-metre line, an error for which he was punished within seconds as Ben King scored again. The last word went to Steven O’Brien with another score of the game after Ballina caught Grangemockler at half-time after a free throw fell short.
It means that Ballina will face Mullinahone in the final on the weekend of October 15-16 with a place in the senior brackets at stake. The best for Ballina were Josh Egan, Conor Power, Ben King, Tom Lee and Steven O’Brien.
Man of the Match: Steven O’Brien (Ballina)
Ballina: Jack Brady (0-3f, 7); Paddy O’Donovan (6), Josh Egan (7), Terry O’Halloran (7); Conor Power (8), James Hanley (7), Sam Loughran (6); Conor Maguire (6) Michael Breen (6); Ben King (0-2, 7), Steven O’Brien (1-5, 1-0 penalty, 0-2f) 9), Jack O’Mahoney (1-0, 6), Eoghan Power (0-1, 7), David Grace (7), Tom Lee (7)
Changes: Matthew Power (6) for E Power (37), Dara King (6) for Loughran (39), Braoin Cleary (6) for O’Mahoney (52).
Grangemockler/Ballyneale: David Power (6), Conor Hahessy (7), Michael Meagher (6), Darragh Shelly (6), Sean Daly (6), Joey Lyons (7), Manus McFadden (0-1, 8), Ben Comerford (6 ), Michael Maney (6), Leon Kennedy (6), John Lyons (0-3, 8), Mark O’Meara (7), Sean O’Meara (6), Mikie Lyons (0-5f, 7), Jaime Walsh (0-3, 7).
Substitute: Ian Brett (NR) for Joey Lyons (57).
Referee: John Butler (Upper Church/Drombane)