Ballon beat Asca to U20 ‘B’ title
Ballon's under 20 football team celebrate winning the 'B' final Photo: Pat Ahern
It would have been some celebration at the Ballon annual dinner dance on Saturday night. A good year became even better when only a few hours earlier the Wexford Road side added the Under 20 B championship to the Junior A which they won earlier in the year. It took them a while to cement their victory here at Netwatch Cullen Park but they were the better side and were good value for their win.
Both sides were faced with the bitter cold and a fresh strong wind and it showed with players making mistakes. While there was only a hint of rain, it was a struggle to put any moves together.
Ballon went in front with a Brian Maher point in the opening minute and shortly afterwards, Asca’s James Ingram fired over into the wind at the O’Hanrahan end of the ground.
Points from Kevin and Brian Maher pushed Ballon two clear but John Phiri raised two white flags in the 17th and 24th minutes for Asca. Coming up to half-time, Kevin Maher picked off his second point of the half to give the eventual winners a narrow 0-4 to 0-3 interval.
Playing with the wind in the second half and into the O’Hanrahan end of the ground, Shane Duffy backed himself and his shot flew over the advanced keeper’s head for a vital 31st minute goal. When Evan Corr converted a free, Ballon were on their way.
As cold and misty rain enveloped the players, both sides created a goal chance each.
When Ballon intercepted an Asca attack, the ball was moved quickly forward. It looked as if he must score but Corr could only look on as Asca keeper, Andre Carvalho pulled off a great save.
Almost immediately, at the other end, Asca put a move together but an alert Ballon defence crowded out Ingram. Asca needed that three-pointer. Going into the final quarter, Ingram and Corr exchanged points. On 58 minutes, Duffy’s point gave Ballon a six-point advantage.
They almost scored another goal as Duffy nudged the ball forward from the 45 metre line. Haring through the centre, soccer style, he put space between himself and the nearest defender. Having done all the good work, to his horror, he pushed the ball wide at the right-hand post.
The Ballon goal that was coming finally arrived. Another passing movement put in centre-back, Johnny Maher, and the green flag was waving as he made no mistake from close range. Asca did have a point from Phiri but it was Ballon’s day. The celebrations were already in motion up in the stand.
No doubt it was a long night for the Ballon faithful with those feelings of joy and achievement being allowed to stretch into Sunday morning.
S Duffy 1-1, E Corr 0-2fs, J Maher 1-0, B Maher, K Maher 0-2 each, J Carroll 0-1
J Phiri 0-3 (1f), J Ingram 0-2 (1f).
Dylan Cunningham; Josh Fernandez, Martin Carroll, Thomas Maher; Rory McCaffrey, Johnny Maher, Robbie Ward; Eoin Doyle, Jimmy Carroll; Danny Gibson, Shane Duffy, Callum Crawford; Kevin Maher, Evan Corr, David Mc Hugh. Subs: Rory McCaffrey for Gibson (37), Billy Flynn for Duffy (41), Eddie Hourihane for K Maher (58), Jamie Maher for McHugh (59), Lorcan Cassin for Duffy (60).
Andre Carvalho. Luke Bramley, Diarmuid Long, Evan McAteer; Ned Williams, Aaron Bowden, Callum Carlin; Andrew Vint, Mark O’Brien; Ben Deacon, John Phiri, Stephen Bayley; Leo Hurley, James Ingram, Cian Buckley. Subs: Aaron Myles for Carlin (39), David Lynch for Buckley (40), Killian Comiskey for Deacon (57), Frank Nadahiro for Bowden (58).
Paud O’Dwyer (Palatine).
