Corr, Kelliher and Maher to the fore as Ballon
Ballon's joint top scorer, Alex Kelliher (0-5) gets this shot away for a point with Grange's Aidan Burrows over his shoulder. Photos: Pat Ahern.
Ballon just about got the better of Grange in this Carlow Credit Union Senior Football League Division 2 Semi-Final at Netwatch Cullen Park on Friday.
Playing towards the O’Hanrahan end of the ground in the opening half, the eventual winners got off to the better start with Corey Kelliher and Alex Kelliher both rifling over a point. A passing movement saw Pat Murphy get Grange off the mark with a neat seventh minute point.
Evan Corr tacked on a two-point free to extend the Ballon lead and when Fionn McCaffrey raised another white flag for Ballon, it looked as if they were going to take command.
Grange had other ideas with Cillian Murphy, John Murphy (free) and Ned Pender all registering points. Both sides created goal chances but Ballon probably had the clearer chances while Grange dropped at least two balls into the hands of Ballon keeper, Andrew O’Brien.
By the end of the half, the game was finely balanced with Ballon ahead 0-7 to 0-5.
With the conditions becoming somewhat difficult as a result of the steady drizzle the pace of the game dropped a little but that didn’t stop the sides picking off some nice scores.
Aidan Burrows scored the only goal of the game in the third quarter when his left-footed shot from the edge of the big square after Grange opened up the Ballon defence. It put them a point clear but the lead didn’t last for long with Alex Kelliher levelling with a two-pointer from play. Brian Maher added another to put Ballon in the driving seat.
The red and whites had an edge in the third quarter and made it pay. Evan Corr added to his first half two-pointer when he converted a free and a 45. Grange replied with scores from the experienced John Murphy and Ned Pender.
The winners played keep ball in the final minutes after John Murphy’s white flag left only three between them.
Crucially, Ballon secured the last kick-out of the night, played down the clock and just to make sure, Callum Crawford scored his second point to copper-fasten the win.
E Corr 0-5 (2'45, tpf), A Kelliher 0-5 (1tp), B Maher 0-3 (1tp), C Crawford 0-2, F McCaffrey C Kelliher 0-1 each.
A Burrows 1-1, J Murphy 0-3 (1f), N Pender 0-2, P Murphy 0-2, C Murphy 0-1.
Andrew O’Brien; Johnny Maher, Dan O’Connor, Josh Fernandez; Donncha Murphy, Conor Kelly, Jimmie Carroll; Conor Bolger, Fionn McCaffrey; Myles Hutton, Callum Crawford, Corey Kelliher; Alex Kelliher, Evan Corr, Brian Maher.
Brendan Fanning for Hutton (21).
Louis Kilcoyne; Senan Murphy, Vijay Egharevba, James Hickey; Cillian Murphy, Henry Hegarty, Pat Murphy; Patrick Hickey, Conor Nolan; Aidan Burrows, Ned Pender, Shane Cormican; Noah Mulligan, John Murphy, Cathal Hennessy.
John Doyle for S Murphy (h/t).
Sean McCormack (Carlow Town)
