North Tipperary Junior 'C' League Final
Ballinahinch 1-21
Portroe 0-10
by Kieran Mullarkey in Newport.

 

Ballinahinch produced a fine team effort to land the North Junior 'C' League final with an emphatic win over a disappointing Portroe on Saturday evening.
Shirt sleeves and sun glasses were the order of the day and the ideal conditions suited the eventual victors who were simply too slick in contrast to the laboured efforts of their opponents.
Ballinahinch's Adrian Kelly proved the key man, operating at centre forward and much of their best work revolved around him. He shot the game's opening two points and in the process settled any of his side's early nerves.
Portroe were their own worst enemy at times in the opening period; rushed clearances, poor handling and some wayward shooting put them on the back foot. Damien Ryan, solid form placed balls throughout, was their chief threat firing over three first half frees. As a unit though the Ballinahinch defence dealt well with a direct Portroe attack.
In contrast Ballinahinch's use of the ball was measured with Michael Lynch, Paddy Kelly and Des Kelly showing well inside. Midfielder Kevin Mulcahy showed his class on the frees and he punished some clumsy Portroe challenges with two fine frees to open up a three point lead on ten minutes.
Portroe responded with their best period of sustained pressure that yielded points from Cormac Shouldice and Darren Aherne but this was as close as the scores would get. Ballinahinch's Paddy Kelly soon breezed past marker Keith O'Brien and pointed before another Kevin Mulcahy free extended Ballinahinch's lead. Tommy Kelly soon converted a close in free as James Healy's pace was proving too much for a beleaguered Portroe defence.
Portroe did have plenty of possession but six first half wides with a stiff breeze at their backs proved costly. Damien Ryan did manage to land two frees to keep Port in touch but these only served to drive Ballinahinch on with Raphael Ryan at midfield and Brendan Healy at centreback to the fore.
Michael Lynch and Des Kelly demonstrated their pace down the left wing to fire over two quick points for Ballinahinch before Tommy Kelly brought down the curtain on the first half with another close in free to leave his side leading ten to five.
Portroe began the second half in determined fashion and were duly rewarded with another Damien Ryan free. With their tails up they laid siege to the Ballinahinch goals but undermined much of their good work with costly turnovers and poor shooting. In Ballinahinch's first real attack Adrian Kelly engineered a free with Mulcahy again proving reliable before Collins added another free when Paul Quinn dragged back Paddy Kelly.
And so the pattern of the half took shape, Portroe had plenty of possession but couldn't take advantage whereas Ballinahinch proved efficient and were able to find the target consistently. Adrian Kelly hit two quick points in succession to further extend the lead, the second an excellent effort on the run.
Kevin Mulcahy added another free before the excellent Des Kelly found the range and then showed good vision and composure to set up Adrian Kelly for another to open up a ten point lead. Despite plenty of endeavour the best Portroe could manage was a Damien Ryan free as the game slipped from their view. Lady 'uck had deserted them too as twice in as many minutes Darren Aherne was denied a goal.
Portroe subs Charlie Wilford and Ian O'Donnell made an impact with two well-worked points but Ballinahinch continued to pile on the scores with points from Raphael Ryan and Michael Lynch along with a huge free from the unerring Kevin Mulcahy. The only goal of the game arrived with five minutes remaining when a long Ryan delivery broke inside the Portroe defence and substitute John Skehon won the race with Port keeper John Sheedy and flicked the ball along the floor to the net.
Sheedy bravely denied Paddy Kelly a second goal in the final moments but Kevin Mulcahy capped a fine evening's work by pointing the resultant 65' on the stroke of full time.