Brave Ballon battle to the bitter end
Joan Maher scores a fine point for Ballon against Dundalk Gaels.
After a memorable year where this particular group were part of a great season for the entire Ballon club, the ladies made their exit from the Leinster Junior Football championship in the opening round on Saturday in Ballon.
There have been years where the club has ended the season with nothing to show for their efforts but, across the board, at all levels, championship silverware has come to stay for the year.
What a pity then that a disappointing opening half all but decided this game. The County Louth visitors thoroughly deserved to return home with the win but Ballon were left with a big “What If” around this performance.
The first half showing undid them where they started well but had nothing to show for early pressure. Two attempts for points drifted wide and two goal chances were not taken into the clubhouse end of the ground.
The visitors, who won a first ever County Louth title this year seven years after the ladies game was founded in Dundalk Gaels, struck 1-1 in a two minute spell. Molly Williams raised a white flag on seven minutes and Mia Duffy followed up with a goal when her shot dipped under the crossbar.
Ballon hit back and Emer Deacon ran through the defence before settling for a good point. Dundalk Gaels hit back and two goals in a matter of minutes from Williams and Caoimhe Crichton put distance between the sides. It could have been more but Ballon keeper, Marie O’Neill, dived to her left to keep a Duffy shot from sneaking in at the foot of the post.
The visitors dominated for the rest of the half and another Williams goal saw them go to the dressing room leading by 4-2 to 0-1.
The home side came out fighting in the second half and an Eimear Bolger goal, when she deflected a high ball into the net, set the tone. The Red and Whites upped the ante and Bolger scored two more three-pointers which had the home support getting behind them more than ever.
Yet Dundalk Gaels didn’t panic and two points from Emily Thompson and Duffy kept their end of the scoreboard ticking over. Joan Maher replied with another Ballon point and with the game going into the final five minutes, Lucy Kinsella nailed another Ballon goal. Now it was 4-6 to 4-2. Again the visitors refused to be rattled. They dug in and a point a piece from Williams and Duffy settled the issue.
As the conditions worsened and the rain soaked everyone to the skin, the Ballon effort petered out. It was one of those days where, in a great season, there will be regrets about the opening half performance here.
M Williams 2-2, M Duffy 1-5 (3fs), C Crichton 1-0, E Thompson 0-1.
E Bolger 3-0, L Kinsella 1-0, E Deacon, J Maher 0-1 each.
Colleen Mulpeter; Niamh Sloane, Aoife Byrne, Amy Duffy; Caoimhe Crichton, Grace Reilly, Denise Finnegan; Sarah Harlin, Kathryn O’Hara; Aoife Murphy, Sarah McDonnell, Ciara Cunningham; Emily Thompson, Molly Williams, Mia Duffy.
Emma Nelson for Thompson (44), Aliza Jane Martin for Murphy (51), Sophie McGinnity for Cunningham (58), Grace O’Connell for Sloane (58).
Marie O’Neill; Lauren Byrne, Clare Kealy, Clodagh Hutton; Roisin Connolly, Becky Kelly, Anna Maher; Emma Cummins, Isabella O’Byrne; Joan Maher, Eimear Raleigh, Emer Deacon; Eimear Bolger, Lucy Kinsella, Anna Cullen.
Grace Kennedy for Raleigh (h/t), Katie Kinsella for A Maher (h/t), Eabha Maxwell for Deacon (44), Beth Lalor for O’Byrne (54), Charlotte Lalor for Hutton (54).
Ian Culbert (Wicklow).
