Birr 3-20 ...... Ballyskenagh 3-17
On Tuesday 26th June, Ballyskenagh took on Birr in a lively and keenly contested encounter which saw the sides level on no fewer than eight occasions. Birr opened the scoring and with ten minutes gone were ahead by 3 points to 2, Skenagh's point coming from Aidan Franks. Daryl Carney reduced the margin to the minimum and Timmy Hennessy equalised in the 13th minute. Seconds later Hennessy gave Skenagh the edge but Birr drew level again inside a minute. Points from Aidan Franks ('65) and Ronan Middleton gave Skenagh a two point advantage, but a goal from Birr in the 17th minute put their noses back in front. Tom O'Toole equalised before a good move up the field involving Padraic Kennedy, Timmy Hennessy and Tom O''Toole was finished off by a goal from Ciarán Kirwan to give Skenagh a 1-7 to 1-4 lead with just over ten minutes to go to the break. A Birr free reduced the margin to two, but an Aidan Franks '65 restored it to three. Birr pointed again before some frantic goalmouth action saw Ciarán Kirwan get another touch past the goalie to widen the margin to five. An Aidan Franks point from centre back increased Skenagh's advantage to six with 24 minutes gone. Birr pointed three times in the closing minutes of the half (one free) to put the half time score at 2-9 to 1-9.
Playing down the hill, a Birr goal soon after the restart put the sides all square but Daryl Carney and Timmy Hennessy replied in quick succession to restore a two point lead for Skenagh. Birr pointed again and went on to take the lead in the sixth minute when they raised the green flag. However their lead lasted less than a minute as Timmy Hennessy found Shane Carroll who duly drove the ball to the back of the net to put Skenagh in front again by 3-11 to 3-10. In the tenth minute the sides were level again after a Birr point but an Aidan Franks free restored a one point lead for Skenagh. Birr soon equalised again but a great point from Daryl Carney gave the home side the edge yet again. A Birr point in the 18th minute put the sides all square for the eighth time and two further points gave the visitors a two point lead. Timmy Hennessy reduced the lead to one, but by the 24th minute it was back at three as Birr pointed twice without reply (one free). Hennessy again pointed to put the score at 3-17 to 3-15. Birr raised the white flag once more but Hennessy yet again replied to put the score at 3-18 to 3-16 with four minutes left on the clock. An Aidan Franks free reduced the margin to the minimum, but it was to be Skenagh's last score of the game, while Birr went on to increase their lead by two, to put the final score at 3-20 to 3-17 in Birr's favour.
Team and Scorers: Alan Franks; Padraic Kennedy, Tony O'Riordan, Brian Keeshan; Derek Middleton, Aidan Franks (0-6, 0-2, free, 0-2 '65), Daryl Carney (0-3); Ronan Middleton (0-1), Morgan Lalor; Shane Carroll (1-0), Timmy Hennessy (0-6), Emmet Middleton; Ciarán Kirwan (2-0), Tom O'Toole (0-1), Ollie Ryan
Referee: Tony Carroll
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