Kerry Petroleum County Junior Premier Final
Listowel Emmets 0-24 Ballymacelligott 1-18 (AET)
Sunday 29th October 2023 @Austin Stack Park, Tralee
Even though the result did not go our way on Sunday we are extremely proud of our Senior Team and the hard battle they put up. The massive support from the parish was something to behold, you all brought colour, noise and most of all you brought the club together from the youngest to the older members of our club. It was a marvelous uniting force to have you all there to support this team. Thanks to everyone for the huge support from near and far. We will be back!
The day started with a minute’s silence for all players & officials from both clubs who had passed away including Sean Scanlon who Played for Ballymac and Donnagh Galvin a cousin of Ballymac panellist Diarmuid Galvin who died this week.
Austin Stack Park pitch was in excellent condition and it was a great day for a County Final.
Listowel were sharp, focused, and plunged into the game immediately and after five minutes had a two-point lead 0-3 to 0-1. Ballymac’s point came from Brian Lonergan who continued to play a pivotal role for Ballymac in this half.
With fifteen minutes on the clock, Ballymac had clawed back the lead and were level 0-5 each. The score came from two frees from Aidan Breen and two from play from Vinnie Horan and Michéal Reidy.
Listowel then upped the pace and for the next seventeen minutes blistered Ballymac leaving the halftime score Listowel: 0-13 to Ballymac 0-6. But for the great save made by Christy Leen in goal in the sixteen minutes, it could have been much bleaker for our side going in at half time.
What a second-half performance from The Ballymac Lads! They scored 1-7 to Listowel’s three points. They worked like true heroes and played some lovely football.
Captain Vinnie Horan led by example and scored the most fantastic point to open the second half and it galvanized his teammates to push on. Two wides, a goal chance, and a ball caught by the Listowel keeper in the first six minutes did not deter the Ballymac Boys. Eoin Creedon for Ballymac playing his first game of the championship showed leadership and skill in the backs and snuffed out many a determined rally by Emmett’s. Aidan Breen scored two points seven minutes apart and in between Tómas O’Connor had a goal chance saved. Brian Lonergan scored a goal l in the 45 minutes. The 48th Minute Listowel scored their first point of the half followed by a point from Daragh Keane. Another point from Listowel left two points between the teams. 55 minutes into the game Listowel Goalie saved a point-blank ball from Aidan Breen. Christy Leen in the Ballymac Goal saved a goal chance from Jack McElligott a minute later.
Aidan Breen scored a point from a free. The referee signaled five minutes of additional time. Aidan Breen scored a free from a foul on Vinnie Horan and Vinnie scored another point to give Ballymac the bare minimum of a lead: 1-13 to 0-15. There was one minute left and up popped Jack McElligott from Emmets to level the game at full-time.
Listowel Emmetss 0-16 Ballymac 1-13.
In the first two minutes of the extra time Listowel two points from play, followed by a point from Ballymac Tómas O’Connor. Once again Jack McElligott from Listowel ran the length of the pitch and scored a fine point followed by another from Darragh Lynch. A point from a free from Aidan Breen just before the end of the first ten minutes left the score Listowel 0-20 to Ballymac 1-15. There were two minutes of additional time played and in that two minutes, Listowel scored three points from play. The Half Time of Extra time score was: Listowel 0-23 to Ballymac 1-15.
The second half saw Ballymac once again determined to stay in the game. Three points from Tómas O’Connor, Daire Keane, and Aidan Breen (Free) saw two points between the teams. Three minutes of additional time was played. Listowel scored a point and this left the final score: Listowel 0-24 Ballymac 1-18.
The Final whistle blew. Ballymac had lost the game.
And let’s give the final word of praise to those valiant players and the management team who represented Ballymac GAA and Ballymac Parish so well “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
Ballymac Abú! Beidh lá éile again!
Ballymac: Christy Leen, Tomás O’Connor (0-2), Dan O’Shea (0-1), Eoin Creedon, Cian Counihan, Tadhg Brick, Darragh Sweeney, Aidan Breen (0-8, 7f), Micheál Reidy (0-1), Niall Collins, Daire Keane (0-2), Adam Sheehy, Dónal Daly, Vinny Horan (0-1), Brian Lonergan (1-1,)
Subs used: Brian Cassidy, Darragh Regan, Michael Sweeney and Michael Herlihy.
