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Ballyskenach 0-16 ....... St. Rynaghs 2-7
By John Horan
The 2003 Offaly County finalists Ballyskenach held off a late challenge by St. Rynagh's to secure an opening win in a disappointing first match in the Offaly Senior Championship at St. Brendan's Park, Birr on Saturday evening last.
Ballyskenach looked set for their first brace of championship points when they led by four points 0-14 to 1-7 with five minutes remaining. However St. Rynagh's came into the contest late on and struck with a goal by Cathal Horan that looked to have took a deflection, three minutes from the end. Ballyskenach though picked up the pace once again and in the remaining minutes struck with two final points by Mick O'Hara and David Franks to edge the outcome at the end.
The Ballyskenach men were deserving of their victory as they led all the way through the contest and only came under pressure in the last five minutes, when the game ignited for a few minutes.
Ballyskenach were helped by the displays of their full forward line of Eoghan Franks, Brenan Murphy and John Dooley. None of the Ballyskenach half forwards found the scoring range while centre back Mick O'Hara hit four points. Both the centre back and corner forward scored eleven points between them, half of which came from frees.
In a sluggish contest St. Rynagh's looked a bit ring rusty on the day. A tally of 1-1 was a poor return in the first half, John Ryan getting in for a Rynagh's goal as early as the 12th minute, when he was set up by a Kevin Kelly pass. Surprisingly St. Rynagh's failed to find the target in the second quarter as Ballyskenach, helped by a series of frees, went in leading at half time by 0-10 to 1-1.
St. Rynagh's got in for the second goal at an opportune time late in the evening but as scores began to flow, Ballyskenach found a few gears again to put a bit of daylight between them.
Ballyskenach took the lead two minutes when Eoghan Franks pointed a free. Six minutes later they extended their lead when centre back Mick O'Hara poined a free from about 85 metres. O'Hara added another socre, a '65, as they led by 0-3 to 0-0.
St. Rynagh's had to wait until the 12th minute before they got off the mark, Kevin Kelly picking out John Ryan with a pass and he ran and fired to the net from close range. Balllyskenach created chances again and found the target with a brace of points in a minute through Brendan Murphy and Eoghan Franks. When regular freetaker for Rynagh's Eunan Martin steered a free between the posts, Ballyskenach led by a point, 0-5 to 1-1, at the end of the first quarter.
Ballyskenach however finished the stronger of the two sides in the last eleven minutes of the half. They struck with two points in two minutes off the stick of corner forward Eoghan Franks, who added a third from play, as Ballyskenach established a first half lead of four points six minutes before the interval. They added two final efforts in the half, David Franks broke forward on a solo run before shooting a point and Eoghan Franks hit a free. At half time, Ballyskeanch led by 0-10 to 1-1.
Ballyskenach extended the lead to seven points a minute into the second half when John Dooley pointed before Gary O'Cononr replied for Rynagh's. The teams exchanged scores again and Ballyskeanch led by 0-12 to 1-3 in the 36th minute. Ballyskenach midfielder Alan Middleton picked up a booking for a foul and from the free Eunan Martin pointed. Six minutes later following another couple of scrappy niggly fouls, St. Rynagh's John Ryan was booked for a foul on keeper Alan Franks.
When Mick O'Hara pointed another free for Ballyskenach, they led by 0-13 to 1-3 at the end of the third quarter. Paudie Mulhare pointed for St. Rynagh's and when Ballyskenach full forward Brendan Murphy hit a point, his team led by seven points with ten minutes left.
Ballyskenach found themslves in a useful position at this juncture, though the Rynagh's men kept up the pressure in the closing stages of the match. In a three minute spell between the 52nd and 55th minutes, they socred three unanswered points, all from Kevin Kelly, two frees and one from play, and the gap was down to four with five minutes left, as Ballyskenach led by 0-14 to 1-7.
Then a minute later, a ball found its way into Cathal Horan, who was unmarkred and fired in a shot that seemed to take a deflection on its way to the net. The goal hauled the Rynagh's men right back into the contest, though time was against them.
However, Ballyskenach were determined not to be caught on the hop late on and the sealed their first win of the new campaign with two final points in the last minute through an accurate Mick O'Hara free followed by a David Franks effort to make sure of an opening win in the championship.
Ballyskenach: Alan Franks; Barry Keeshan, Cathal Murphy, Brendan Franks; Aidan Franks, Mick O'Hara (0-4, 0-3 frees, 0-1 '65), Mark Kirwan; David Franks (0-2), Alan Middleton; Noel Murphy, Tom O'Toole, David Carney; John Dooley (0-1), Brendan Murphy (0-2), Eoghan Franks (0-7, 0-3 frees). Subs: Morgan Lalor (for John Dooley)
St. Rynaghs: Damien McDermott; Adrian Clancy, Hubert Rigney, Shane Horan; Pat McIntyre, Declan Tanner, Ger Rafferty; Paudie Mulhare (0-1), Nigel Woods; Eunan Martin (0-2, 0-2 frees), John Ryan (1-0), Kevin Kelly (0-3, 0-2 frees), Cathal Horan (1-0), Gary Healy, Gary O'Connor (0-1). Subs: Kieran Killian (for Eunan Martin), Michael Rigney (for Shane Horan).
Referee: Martin Walsh (Birr)
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