Ballina crowned 16 B Hurling champions

Post date: Oct 9, 2012 6:34:49 PM

Our field action came to finality last Saturday after fulfilling a busy summer schedule .Three venues provided the action with the premier event being the final of the 16 B Hurling championship.

Borrisleigh club hosted the final which was between north champions Ballina and west champions Knockavilla Donskeigh Kickhams.

The scene was set for 12noon start and all present were blessed with the weather conditions which were cool and dry with the odd addition of sunshine.

However little sunshine was on the west boys as it was to prove to bit a grueling test right throughout the contest.

With the game only one minute old Ballina were two points up courtesy of the opener from James Murtagh and followed up with another from Pheilm O’Hagan.

Ronan Burke the Ballina left wing back thwarted a Kickhams challenge moments later. By the fourth minute James Murtagh and Captain Conor Maguire had converted two frees to double the Ballina lead to four points .Most of the action at this point of the game was enjoyed by the north men. On the sixth minute Brendan Ryan’s effort from a free failed to give Knockavilla their opening addition to the scoreboard, but within seconds resulting from the kick out and a great passage of combination teamwork Terry O’Halloran added another Ballina point .Within another two minutes proceedings really looked ominous for the west boys as Murtagh added another Ballina point quickly followed by the opening goal of the game from captain Maguire to put the score board registering Ballina 1-06 without a reply. By the tenth minute Ballina had added another point to their tally and were in turbo drive and had only missed two of opportunities that had come their way. The first yellow card was issued to Ballina corner back Tomas McGrath for bringing Killan Loughman to an illegal halt. From the resulting free Brendan Ryan who was always the only major threat to the Ballina defense scored the first point for the Kickhams.This score however seemed to put a spurt of life into the west boys who got more into the game over the next ten minutes or so. Ger Browne saw his effort going narrowly off target and moments later Adrian Power the Ballina goal keeper brought off a great save.

Killan Loughman converted a free to get Kickhams second point to put the score board reading Ballina 1-07 Knockavilla Donaskeigh 0-02 mid way at the first period.Kickhams wing back Padraig O’Carroll dropped in a long ball from which his forward colleagues got a free. Brendan Ryan stepped up and dropped it in to the square area and the games first .65 were awarded. Brendan slotted this over the woodwork to register his side’s third point to narrow the arrears to seven points. Moments later Ger Browne got his first point to increase the Kickhams tally to four points At the other end of the pitch Conor Maguire converted a .65 to add another Ballina point.. In the last five minutes of the period Ballina added two more points courtesy of Bill Floyd from play and a free by James Murtagh, while Kickhams had two points a converted free by Brendan Ryan and one of the best scores of the game with a Ger Browne point from a very tight angle to put the half time score reading Ballina 1-11 Knockavilla Donaskeigh 0-06

Upon the resumption Ballina continued their dominance right from the throw in giving no opportunities to their opponents. However the first score did not appear until the sixth minute when James Murtagh added a point to the Ballina tally from a free. Two minutes later Brendan Ryan did likewise for the Kickhams to put the score reading 1-12 to 0-07. On the sixteenth minute the game came to a halt as Kickhams substitute Sean Butler was being attended to for about four minutes, but thankfully he was able to resume duty.. Indeed it was a torrid time for the west boys who had no answer to the strength and class of their northern opposition. With the game coming near added time Ballina had added 1-04 to their account. To put the score at 2-16 to 0-07 the games second goal in the twentieth minute from Brian Connolly and point from Murtagh, McGuire and O’Halloran.

As the Kickhams tried tirelessly to no avail to perpetrate the Ballina defense.

Padraig O’Carroll seemed to be heading goal wards but was\deemed by the referee to have over carried and this appeared to be the only Kickhams goal opportunity gone lost. However they were awarded a free thirty meters out some ten meters from the side and up stepped Brendan Ryan and caught the Ballina defense off guard and had the net shaking for the games third goal and Kickhams first. In the first minute of added time

This score was to be Kickhams last addition while Ballina added four more from Maguire, Murtagh, Conway and O’Halloran to clinch the title on a final score line of Ballina 2-20 Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams 1-07.

Ballina were indeed worthy champions and were at ease in all sectors of the pitch and had numerous individual performers. For the Kickhams Brendan Ryan has to be single out as their number one performer and any observer would see that he was always central to any meaningful threat to the opposition .Full credit has to be accorded to the boys from the west both team & mentors for their contribution to a sporting spectacle..

At the presentation of the cup to Captain Conor Maguire Chairman Joe Kennedy thanked both teams for the sporting display. He also acknowledged referee P.J.Nolan and his officials and to the Borrisleigh for making their facilities available.

Victorious Ballina panel: Adrian Power, David Kelly, Tomas McGrath, Paddy O’Donovan, Ronan Burke, Jamie Collins, Jason Slevin, Conor Maguire Captain (1-04, frees0-02,.65 0-01), Tomas Conway (0-01), Bill Floyd (0-01)James Murtagh (0-01,frees0-06),Terry O’Halloran (0-02),Ben King, Brian Connolly (1-00), Phelim O’Hagan (0-01), Louis Kennedy , Eoin Slattery, David Bradshaw, Liam McGrattin, Conor O’Leary, Pierce Nash, Gearóid Slattery, Michael Lane, Mark Acton, Enda Sheehy, Michael Hurley, Jamie O’Dea .

Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams Panel: Dean Nolan, Cathal Ryan, Killan O’Meara, Nathan Ryan, Kieran Breen, Padraig O’Carroll, Michael McCormack, Brendan Ryan ( frees 1-02,.65 0-01),Jim Ryan, Elliot Thompson, Eoin Hand, Joseph Lonergan, Phelim Carberry, Killan Loughman (free 0-01), Ger Browne (0-02),Gavin McCormack, Joey Griffey, Sean Butler, Alex Lebert