St. Rynagh’s paved the way into the County quarter-finals with a four point
victory over Ballyskenach, who came with a late charge at St. Brendan’s Park,
Birr on Saturday afternoon.
Dolan Inspires Saints To Victory
St. Rynagh’s 5-5 ...... Ballyskenach 2-10
By John Horan
St. Rynagh’s paved the way into the County quarter-finals with a four point
victory over Ballyskenach, who came with a late charge at St. Brendan’s Park,
Birr on Saturday afternoon.
The story of this match enveloped around goals, five in total for St. Rynagh’s and they would be the platform to set up Rynagh’s for victory on the day. Of these St. Rynagh’s second goal of the five had a major touch of fortune about it and they built on this as the game progressed. Following their win in this play-off, St. Rynagh’s now meet Shinrone in the quarter-finals this weekend.
These teams met earlier in the now prolonged Championship with Ballyskenach coming out on top on that occasion. St. Rynagh’s have steadily improved since then drawing with Kilcormac/Killoughey, defeating Lusmagh and going down to Birr.
The Rynagh’s forwards are looking a bit more sharper but questions remain about their defence which had to cope with concerted Ballyskenach pressure over the hour.
Goals were the order of the day on a firm surface which played up well after weeks of heavy rain. The match gathered momentum in a second half which saw Rynagh’s add 3-2 to a first half tally of 2-3 while Ballyskenach struck with 2-5 in an exciting final thirty minutes.
Hero of the day for St. Rynagh’s was corner forward Fintan Dolan who enjoyed an excellent hour’s hurling hitting a tally of 2-4, with a goal in either half, his second crucially took Rynagh’s four point sahead of Ballyskenach in the 43rd minute.
The game was a see-saw affair in the closing stages, when it seemed Rynagh’s had pulled ahead of their opponents, Ballyskenach came back at them before they finally saw them off with a brace of late goals. With five minutes left in the match it actually looked like Rynagh’s had done enough, however three minutes from the end the ball broke for second half substitute Michael O’Hara and he drilled home a second Ballyskenach goal to put one in it.
The goal didn’t deter Rynagh’s and following a ball into the forwardline Emmet Broderick ran through and shot past the ‘Skenach netminder. On the general overall play St. Rynagh’s were deserving of victory, they led all the way, although Ballyskenach did cause a few palpitatons when they hit a second goal but Rynagh’s held out.
Both sides were guilty of missed efforts and there was a fair portion of goalmouth action and posts hit, two Rynagh’s goals came after the ball came back off the post. Indeed when St. Rynagh’s hit their third goal seconds into the second half they built up a lead of seven points after not being over impressive in the first.
It was turning out to be a day of luck and fortune and Ballyskenach got back into the match following a free from Tomas O’Toole which Brendan Murphy got the faintest of touches to get it beyond keeper Mark Healy. The goal in the early stages of the second half was the springboard for a purple patch for the Ballyskenach men who added a further four points in six minutes to come within a goal of Rynagh’s by the end of the third quarter. Rynagh’s rode their luck and they were getting goals out of the blue which always kept them that bit in front.
While Fintan Dolan was easily a candidate for man of the match they had other important contributors in Martin Hanamy and Michael Duignan in defence, Darragh Kelly at midfield and in the forwards Paudie Mulhare, John Ryan and Kevin Kelly. For Ballyskenach they had notable performances in Barry Keeshan and Tomas O’Toole in defence, David Franks, their free taker, Bill Lalor, Noel Murpy and Brendan Murphy. David Franks was an important contributor for Ballyskenach with a series of frees which kept them in the game. However when it seemed the game was slipping from them ‘Skenach’s first goal the incentive they needed and they chisled away at the Rynagh’s lead.
St.
Rynagh’s got off to the best possible start a minute in when they goaled.
A shot by centre forward Ger Rafferty broke in the goalmouth and alert corner
forward Fintan Dolan was on hand to sweep the rebound to the net. Ballyskenach
didn’t have to wait too long before they opened their account, midfielder
Liam O’Toole pointing before Brendan Murphy added a second, 1-0 to 0-2.
St. Rynagh’s kept up the early momentum and they struck with a brace of points in two minutes when Fintan Dolan and Kevin Kelly added points. The riposte from Ballyskenach was of a similar vein, two scores, when David Franks dispatched a free and centre forward Noel Murphy scoring making it 1-2 to 0-4 by the end of the opening quarter.
Eight minutes before the interval St. Rynagh’s could not believe their luck when they goaled again, an effort by Kevin Kelly rebounded off the post, it fell into the path of Paudie Mulhare who goaled and they added a point to lead 2-3 to 0-4.
Ballyskenach got the ball down the opposite end of the field in the dying minutes of the half, then Bill Lalor had a chance when he made ground near goal, the ball fell for Noel Murphy but his shot was blocked out. David Franks struck over a free to cut the gap and at the interval St. Rynagh’s led by 2-3 to 0-5. Barely forty seconds into the second half St. Rynagh’s struck with a third goal when following a speculative long distance effort by Paudie Mulhare, the ball which seemed to be heading out wide, dropped into the net. Amazingly moments later they could have notched a fourth when a chance fell the way of John Ryan but his effort was stopped.
Ballyskenach needed a boost and they got it in the form of a goal of their own, a free taken by Tomas O’Toole arced in around the goalmouth and it seemed forward Brendan Murphy got a flick on it to steer the effort home. Ballyskenach then struck a purple patch and hit three points in a four minute spell to put just a solitary point in it, 3-3 to 1-8.
St. Rynagh’s then struck with a crucial fourth goal when referee Noel Flynn awarded Rynagh’s a free 20 yards out. From the ensuing shot Fintan Dolan speared a powerful strike into the roof of the net. Ballyskenach hit one and by the 45th minute the Rynagh’s lead was 4-3 to 1-9. Both sides rang the changes in relation to substitutes with Ballyskenach making four in total.
Fintan Dolan dispatched two further frees in the space of three minutes as Rynagh’s led by five points minutes from the finish Ballyskenach’s final score came following an effort by Liam O’Toole. In fairness they kept harrying and David Franks whipped in a free but it was blocked by a line of defenders. Their efforts paid dividends when the workmanlike Michael O’Hara, who did well when introduced, fired home a shot from the 21 metre line to put just a point in it once more with two minutes left.
Rynagh’s though got the breaks and following a ball that was dispatched into the forwardline, Kevin Broderick paced clear into space and rifled home a clinching fifth goal to broaden the gap. It was to be enough and when the shot hit the net ripples of fans were up from their seats heading for the exits after an exciting contest.
ST. RYNAGH’S: Mark Healy; Ray Devery, Martin Hanamy, Martin McHugh; Shane
Horan, Michael Duignan, Adrian Clancy; Declan Tanner, Darragh Kelly; Eunan
Martin, Ger Rafferty, Paudie Mulhare (2-0); Kevin Kelly (0-1), John Ryan,
Fintan Dolan (2-4, 1-2 frees).
Subs: Emmet Broderick (1-0) (for Eunan Martin, 42 mins); Nigel Woods (for
Ger Rafferty, 47 mins).
BALLYSKENACH: Alan Franks; Eugene Kirwan, Noel Murphy, Ollie Ryan; Barry
Keeshan, Tomas O’Toole, Hughie Hannon; Liam O’Toole (0-2), David Franks (0-4,
4 frees); Bill Lalor, Noel Murphy (0-1), Pat Donnelly; Derek Middleton, Peter
Murphy, Brendan Murphy (1-2).
Subs: Michael O’Hara (1-1) (for Bill Lalor, 36 mins); Kenny Franks (for Alan
Franks, 45 mins); Brendan Franks (for Eugene Kirwan 46 mins), Eoin Maher (for
Derek Middleton, 50 mins).
REFEREE: Noel Flynn (Kilcormac/Killoughey).