Our Minors had a disappointing resut today, losing 2-13 to 3-03 to Ballingeary in the West Region Final. Hard luck, lads.
Urhan had slightly the better of the first half in this final clash, only to lose their way after the interval. despite going down to a goal in the first minute, and leaking a couple of more attacks immediately after, Urhan setteld to the task well, responding through a Declan O’ Neill point in the sixth minute.
A minute later, Luke Daly fed Conor Lowney with a good, long ball down the right, Conor hand-passed instantly to Sean O’ Sullivan coming in from the left, who golaed right-footed to the top right-hand-corner. After Urhan missed a free, Ballingeary broke through the middle to point. 1-01 apiece.
After Béal Atha pointed to take the lead, Conor Lowney worked a one-two with Declan O’ Neill and pointed to level it again on the quarter-hour mark.
Ballingeary returned with a free and a point from play, before Urhan lost Gary Harrington to a shoulder injury. When play was resumed after the injury, it was Aidan O’Neill who fed the free up the right hand side, Conor Lowney caught well and fed the in-rushing Declan O’ Neill, who slammed home high on the near post. Urhan 2-02 Ballingeary 1-04.
Urhan then enjoyed a fine spell, but crucially failed to capitalise, shooting two wides and missing a good goal chance. Ballingeary ralled, and it took an excellent Luke Daly stop to prevent a goal chance. Neverthless, Ballingeary soon levelled from play, and took the lead on the whistle with a close-in free. Half-time Ballingeary 1-06 Urhan 2-02.
The second half started well for Urhan, a Sean O’ Sullivan free the reward for five minutes of dominance, but it was Ballingeary who started to come to the fore. A free for the home side re-established their lead, before the excellent Diarmuid O’ Sullivan slipped to concede a soft goal. Diarmuid was immediately called on again, saving well to deny further damage. Ballingeary started tacking on a few scores – a free on forty-two minutes, a point from play on forty-four, a goal chance tipped over well on forty-five – all in the space of five minutes. Out of nowhere, Ballingeary now led by seven.
Urhan were continuing to scrap for their lives, blocking and tackling all over the field, but the chances fell mostly to the home team. What few chances Urhan created were snatched at, and they tailed wide. Ballingeary tacked on three more points as the game entered the last ten minutes, before Urhan, never giving up, laid the siege on the Béal Atha goal. Twice, heroic blocks saved the goal, before Conor Lowney fielded high at full-forward, turned, weaved, and clipped home for a goal that was the least Urhan deserved. They could add no more, and disappointment was ours again.
Final score: Ballingeary 2-13 Urhan 3-03.
Photos and report to follow.
Team: Diarmuid O’ Sullivan; David Cronin, Niall Dwyer; Luke Daly, Cormac O’ Shea, Gary Harrington; Paul Thomas Nee; Declan O’ Neill, Aidan O’ Neill, Sean Dwyer; Conor Lowney, Sean O’ Sullivan.
Subs: Andrew O’ Neill for Gar Harrington (inj.), Kevin Hanley for Sean O’ Sullivan.
