Senior Football League
Division 1 Round 8
Ballymacelligott: 3-13 Milltown/Castlemaine 3-10
(Sunday 4th June in Ballymac)
Ballymac sits joint first on the Credit Union Senior Football League Div 1 table this week. This feat was never achieved before by a BallymacTeam and it is a credit to this squad of players and their work rate all season.
The game played in glorious sunshine on Sunday had all the drama of a good football game. Three penalties and a last-minute goal added to the excitement.
The first half saw Ballymac dominate and going into the dressing room at half time the score was 2-08 to 0-06. Jonathon O’Sullivan Milltown scored the first point quickly followed by a point from Niall Collins and a point from a free from Aidan Breen.
The first goal came from Daire Keane from a great interception by Tadhg Brick who passed to Michéal Reidy who made a great run and Daire made no mistake when shooting. It was tit-for-tat scoring for the next 10 minutes with Milltown scoring two points from Eanna O’Connor with a free point by Aidan Breen in between.
Niall Collins then caught a ball meant for a Milltown Player and passed to Brian Lonergan who with Michéal Reidy worked the ball to pass once again to Niall Collins who scored the point. Another point from Eanna O’Connor followed and Ballymac who benefited from the strong runs of Michéal Reidy from the back line scored three points from Daire Keane, Niall Collins and Aidan Breen.
Milltown’s Jonathon O’Sullivan scored a point and a penalty was awarded to the home side for a leg block in the square. Aidan Breen took the penalty and Ballymac were 2-07 to 0-4 . Milltown scored a point from a free, a point for Ballymac from full-back Daniel O’Shea and Eanna O’Connor scored the last point from a free to leave the halftime score 2-06 to 0-6.
The open free playing football played by Ballymac in this first half was superb and a joy to watch. It looked good for the home side with an eight-point lead going into the second half.
Milltown/Castlemaine threw off the shackles in the second half and from the throw-in to the final whistle battled and reduced the lead until they were in front by a point in the 31st minute. 2-12 to 3-10. Two of the goals from penalties.
The home supporters thought all was lost when Niall Collins got a touch to a ball and closed it down, and the Milltown Goalie could not hold it, resulting in a goal immediately following a point from Darragh Regan.
The final score was 3-13 to 3-10 in favor of the home side. It was great to see Darragh Regan return to the field after being out. It is a great joy for the Ballymac supporters, who love the County League, to see their team joint top of the Div 1 table. There are days like this! Well done to the Ballymac Squad, Manager Ian Blake and his team of selectors: Tony Sills, Gene O’Keeffe, Padraig Laide and Anthony O’Leary.
However, there are a lot of lessons to be learned by everyone on how we approached and played the the last 35 minutes of the game.
Team and scorers: Christy Leen, Darragh Sweeney, Dan O Shea (0-2) Diarmuid Galvin, Josh O Keeffe, Tadhg Brick, Cian Counihan, Aidan Breen (1-04,) Micheál Reidy (Captain), Niall Collins (1-03) Daire Keane (1-01), Michael Herlihy (0-1), Donal Daly (0-1), Cathal Dunne, Brian Lonergan.
Subs Used: Darragh Regan (0-1), Adam Kelly (Blood Sub)
