Edenderry seniors suffered defeat in their first league final in fourteen years after extra time but the game was marred by a controversial assault on Edenderry minor & senior footballer Sean Doyle with just three minutes to go in normal time. The reds put on an exhibition in the second half however a combination of a poor first half display & the assault of young Sean Doyle rocked the reds to the core.
Ballycumber opened the scoring after four minute but four minutes later Derek Kelly hit back for the reds after some good play from Basil Malone. Ballycumber took control of the game from here on in and points in the fourteenth, fifteenth and eighteenth minute gave them a three point lead. All Ballycumber’s scores came courtesy of Ruairi Guinan, two from free’s and Edenderry were struggling to cope with the big man. Ballycumber pressed on and three further points, two from Ruairi Guinan & one from Fergal Daly gave Ballycumber a six point lead as injury time approached. Johnny Hurst pointed for Edenderry in the first minute of stoppage time but Edenderry can have little complaints as they performed poorly in the first half.
Half time:
Edenderry 0-2 0-7 Ballycumber 0-7
Edenderry started the second half the better side and after just forty seconds Ciaran Hurley pointed from a free after a foul on Stuart Cullen. Ciaran Hurley pointed again after six minutes from a free and just one minute later Stuart Cullen reduced the gap to just one point after superb work from Captain Richie Dalton. Ballycumber responded with a point from Ruairi Guinan but Ciaran Hurley quickly pointed for the reds before an excellent Johnny Hurst point left the minimum between the sides.
Martin Keogh pointed to draw the teams level with sixteen minutes gone but just two minutes later Ballycumber took the lead with another pointed free. Keith McGuinness once again levelled the sides but yet again another ‘free’ brought Ballycumber back into the game. Stuart Cullen levelled the game at ten a piece before a Keith McGuinness fisted point gave the reds a lead.
What happened next has no place in GAA when young Sean Doyle went for the ball he was viciously assaulted by an official from Ballycumber, completely not in keeping with the spirit in which the game had been played. Edenderry were cleary rattled by the incident and with just three minutes to go it certainly affected concentration. Colm Quinn kicked a late free in the thirty second minute to equalise the game and bring it to over time.
Full time:
Edenderry 0-11 Ballycumber 0-11
Edenderry started the extra time the brighter and a Derek Kelly point gave them the lead but unfortunately for Edenderry it would be their only score of the half. Ballycumber kicked five unanswered points, two from Ruairi Guinan & one from Fergal Daly to lead at half time in extra time 0-16 to 0-12.
In the second half of over time Ballycumber got the first two scores of the game, the first from a point despite a blatant sliding tackle and the next was a goal which gave them a commanding lead. Mark Young kicked a late point in injury time from a ’45 to reduce the deficit to seven points.
Man of the match: Johnny Hurst
Referee: Fergal Smith
Team Sheet:
Brian Quinlan, Diarmaid Meleady, David Hanlon, Sean Pender, Colm Byrne. Johnny Hurst(0-2), Dan Nolan, Derek Kelly(0-2), Richie Dalton, Ciaran Hurley(0-3), Basil Malone, Martin Keogh(0-1), Keith McGuinness(0-2), Stuart Cullen(0-2), Mark Young(0-1)
Subs used: Sean Doyle, Wayne Mooney, Dean Cummins, Peter O’Neill
Subs: Aaron O’Connell, John Gorman, Andrew Forde, Sean Moriarty, Padraig Foy, Colin Dunne, Cormac Hurley, Joe Murphy
Full time
Edenderry 0-13 1-17 Ballycumber
