Ballyskenach 1-13 ....... Kinnitty 0-12
Ballyskenach pulled off an important victory in the opening round of the Offaly Senior Hurling Championship when they ousted the challenge of Kinnitty at Shinrone on Sunday evening.
It was a disappointing contest overall, but it was the Ballyskenach forwards who delivered the chances which came their way, notably in the second half which left some light between the sides. Kinnitty did try hard in the closing ten minutes to unlock the Ballyskenach defence, however were thwarted by the determined marking of their defence.
Kinnitty enjoyed their best spells in the first half and sent over some useful scores from Justin Kinsella, Sean Carroll and Mick Molloy. The contest itself was close and tense and threatened to boil over at one or two points before matters were called to order.
Kinnitty just edged it in the first period until the nature of the play fell into Ballyskenach's hands from the midpoint on of the second. Going on their performance, especially in that half, the Ballyskenach men picked up the pace in the forward line and finished the half with a tally of 1-7, the goal being a turning point.
The goal itself came twenty minutes from the end when Donal Golden, who has used his soccer skills to great effect, turned his man to lash the sliothar to the net. They then went on to add five more points to their tally in the remaining stages of the game, four from play, which consigned Kinnitty to their opening defeat of the Championship.
Where Kinnitty more or less lost the match was with the poor return from their forwards in the second half. Kinnitty only possessed two forwards on the evening who were perhaps capable of delivering scores Sean Carroll and Justin Kinsella while they struggled in other sectors of the field.
It was a close and tense contest all the way through with little separating the teams in the opening half hour. Kinnitty started off the match well and put a series of points on the board before Ballyskenach came back to level matters sixteen minutes in. Kinnitty didn't help themselves when they had a player dismissed just on half time when Brendan Molloy was sent off.
At the same time it was nip and tuck all the way and Kinnitty went in leading by one, 0-7 to Ballyskenach's 0-6 at half time.
Ballyskenach then seemed to possess the better urgency in the second half and picked off some crucial scores from play notably from Vinny Franks, Mick 0 'Hara, John Dooley as well as Donal Golden's goal which seemed to rattle the Kinnitty men. Kinnitty's had their best spells of the game in the opening half and within seven minutes were 0-3 to 0-0 in front when Justin Kinsella, Brendan Molloy and Mick Molloy found the range.
Back came Ballyskenach and within three minutes were level when they hit three scores, which included points from David Carney and Donal Golden at the end of the first quarter.
Kinnitty then found the range with two well delivered points from Justin Kinsella and Sean Carroll before Ballyskenach replied again with points from John Dooley and David Murphy. A great deal of activity was then condensed into the closing three minutes of the half as Damien Flaherty for Kinnitty and Donal Golden for Ballyskenach clipped over points. Then moments later Kinnitty found themselves down to fourteen men, however Richie McRedmond pointed a free as Kinnitty led marginally at the half time break.
Kinnitty began the early stages of the second as they ended the first and Sean Carroll dispatched his second score, though Ballyskenach replied with two in two minutes from David Carney and Vinny Franks levelling it 0-8 apiece.
Kinnitty struck again with a score before the main turning point of the second half occurred when Donal Golden turned well and crashed a great shot past Kinnitty netminder Liam Bergin.
From that point onwards it gave the Ballyskenach forwyards the extra incentive as they added two points from Noel Murphy and a score from centre back Mick O'Hara as Kinnitty struck over one making it 1-10 to 0-10 for Ballyskenach. Kinnitty did get some ball into the forward line in the final ten minutes, however the control let them down or the Ballyskenach defence just cleared their lines to deny them chances.
Ballyskenach added three telling scores in the dying minutes from John Dooley, hitting a brace of points, and Bill Lalor which fully swung the match their way.
Evidence that Kinnitty were out of luck on the day occurred when awarded with a free two minutes from the end Richie McRedmond, aiming for the roof of the net some 20 yards out whipped his shot out to the left and wide.
BALLYSKENACH: Eugene Kirwan; Eugene Hannon, Tomas O'Toole, Cathal Murphy;
Barry Keeshan, Mick O'Hara (0-1), Mark Kirwan; Donal Franks, Liam O'Toole; David
Carney (0-2), Noel Murphy (0-1), Bill Lalor (0-1); Vinny Franks (0-1), Donal
Golden (1-3), Peter Murphy (0-1).
Subs: John Dooley (0-3) (for Bill Lalor)
KINNITTY: Liam Bergin; Vincent Bergin, Liam Carroll, Paddy O'Donnell; Liam
O'Brien, Joey Molloy, Paddy Whelan; Richie McRedmond (0-3, frees), Thomas Ryan;
Sean Carroll (0-3), Damien Flaherty (0-2), Mick Molloy (0-1); Mick Bergin, Brendan
Molloy (0-1), Justin Kinsella (0-2).
Subs: Eoin McGuinness (for Joey Carroll).
REFEREE: Ger Wynne (Banagher).