County U21 'B' Football 2013

 

Goals help Gaels into county final

Ballinahinch Gaels 5-04
Carrick Swans 1-08

Report by Michael Dundon in Boherlahan. (Nenagh Guardian)

Four goals in an extraordinary closing 16 minutes swept Ballinahinch Gaels to a flattering eight-point win over Carrick Swans in the County U21 'B' Football Championship semi-final on Sunday afternoon.
A raw downfield breeze on a rock hard surface made life difficult for the teams but despite these handicaps they served up a most entertaining encounter in which the more direct play of the North representatives proved more productive than the subtler approach of their rivals.
Gaels suffered a setback before the start when centre forward Pa Floyd had to cry off through sickness which led to the introduction of Brendan Ryan who certainly proved a very capable replacement with a lively performance.
With the favour of the elements in the first half, Swans dominated play but yet were only level at the interval, 0-5 to 1-2. Ten wides did not help their cause and they spent much of the time playing catchup after Gaels' Aidan Moloney netted a seventh minute penalty following a foul on Odhran Floyd.
Dean Murphy and Bill Walsh had Swans points on the board at that stage, but the Ballinahinch/Newport combination were competitive and always threatening as they counterattacked. Gavin O'Halloran levelled for Swans in the 23rd minute but Martin Carey and Odhran Floyd hit points in the 24th and 25th minutes to restore the Ballinahinch lead.
Before the break, Swans had points from Gavin O'Halloran and a Danny Fitzpatrick free to regain parity (0-5 to 1-2), but in reality this was a very poor return for them considering the possession they enjoyed in that period .
Swans had the first point of the second half from the lively Lee Wall and the post twice denied them a goal two minutes later as the Gaels lived dangerously . Midfielder Martin Carey levelled for Gaels in the 34th minute.
The turning point came in the 14th minute when Conor Floyd initiated a Gaels attack which ended with Brendan Ryan blasting home a goal. Four minutes later, Aidan Moloney had the ball in the Swans net again, after an excellent Gaels move, and in the 50th minute, Moloney completed his hat-trick when he netted his second penalty.
There was no way back for Swans and things actually got worse. Three minutes later, sub Frank Troy slipped the Swans defence for a fifth goal for the Gaels. Swans' frustration led to the red-carding of centre back Jack Walsh with five minutes to go. Swans got some consolation when in injury time Martin Griffin converted a penalty but it was far too little and much too late to make a difference.
Ballinahinch Gaels performance bore out the old sporting adage that goals win matches. With less of the ball, they were much more clinical in their finishing, and their goalgrabbing ability clinched this win for them. They played a more direct brand of football, using the ball intelligently, seldom wasting possession, and they were richly rewarded for their endeavours.
While Aidan Moloney finished with a hat-trick of goals, two from penalties, to claim Man of the Match status, the contributions of such as Joe Conneely, Conor Floyd, Odharan Floyd, Pa Ryan, Martin Carey and Brendan Ryan were also very significant. Swans were left to rue wasted chances, particularly those ten in the first half, which, if even a modest percentage were converted, would have given them a cushion for the Gaels last quarter surge. However, slack defending was to be their real downfall, the concession of five goals leaving them with a mountain to climb in their bid to reach the final.
Centre forward Bill Walsh was a towering figure for Swans with Lee Wall, Jack Walsh, Dale O'Hanlon, and Gavin O'Halloran others to greatly influence their performance.
Man of the Match: Aidan Moloney

Ballinahich Gaels: Aidan Moloney (3-0) 2pens, Brendan Ryan, Frank Troy (1-0), Odhran Floyd 0-2, Martin Carey, Pa Ryan, 0-1.

Team: RJ Ryan (Ballinahinch), Robert Houlihan, Joe Connelly, Paddy Kelly (Ballinahinch); Conor Folyd, John Ryan (Ballinahinch), James O'Connor (Ballinahinch); Kevin Mulcahy (Ballinahinch), Martin Carey; Odhran Floyd, Shane Lenihan, Pa Ryan; Brendan Ryan (Ballinahinch), Daragh McGrath (Ballinahinch), Aidan Moloney. Subs: David Ryan (Ballinahinch) for Lenihan, Frank Troy (Ballinahinch) for B. Ryan, John Ryan for O Floyd, Colm Lees (Ballinahinch) for P.Ryan, James Healy (Ballinahinch) for Houlihan.