Rangers finish with 100% record
Jamie Nolan wheels away after scoring a goal for Mount Leinster Rangers in their win over Ballinkillen
Mount Leinster Rangers eventually registered their fifth win of the championship when they pulled away in the second half at Netwatch Cullen Park on Friday.
The holders set the early pace with Donagh Murphy firing over the first point but the Ballinkillen reply was immediate when Ciaran Whelan played the ball long and into space on the right hand side. Jack Treacy was the recipient and he transferred play across goal with an excellent pass for Marty Dalton to gather. The full-forward still had it all to do from close range but he held his head and completed the finish for an excellent goal.
Both sides recorded a series of wides on the rock hard pitch. The Rangers goal came from Jamie Nolan after Thomas Dowling saved from point blank from Ted Joyce. Jon Nolan also registered two of his trade-mark points for Rangers working hard on both occasions to get possession and then created the space to bisect the posts.
Ballinkillen’s second goal came from a goal mouth melee with Adam Ryan and Dalton vying for the final touch. Word from the dressing room afterwards was that Ryan was claiming the three-pointer. It still took a moments consultation with an umpire before referee, Brian Deering, eventually allowed the goal to stand. Their opponents hit back with Chris Nolan (free), Donagh Murphy and Paul Coady all raising white flags to leave Rangers ahead by the slenderest of margins at 1-8 to 2-4.
From the moment Ted Joyce blasted over another Rangers point in the opening seconds of the second half, there was only going to be one winner. The goals dried up but Rangers, with the three brothers, Jamie, Jon Nolan and Chris Nolan, in particular seemed to move into another high gear.
The points didn’t exactly flow but Rangers maintained their edge, kept the scoreboard ticking over and despite the exhortations of Ciaran Whelan for Ballinkillen, there was only going to be one result in the end.
C Nolan 0-8 (5fs), Jamie Nolan 1-2, D Murphy 0-4, Jon Nolan 0-4, T Joyce 0-2, J Dundon, P Coady, D Tobin (f) 0-1 each.
C Whelan 0-7 (5fs), M Dalton 1-0, A Ryan 1-0, J Treacy 0-2, S Whelan 0-1.
Dean Grennan; Michael Doyle, Evan Kealy, Conaill Fitzpatrick; Richard Coady, Kevin McDonald, Sean Joyce; Joe Dundon, Jon Nolan; Jamie Nolan, Donagh Murphy, Paul Coady; Chris Nolan, Ted Joyce, Kyle Nolan. Subs: Paddy Stafford for R Coady (temporary 13), Tim Brennan for Jon Nolan (temporary 38), Stafford for Joyce (54), Brennan for K Nolan (55), Fiachra Fitzpatrick for P Coady (59), Dean Tobin for Jamie Nolan (59), Diarmuid Byrne for Chris Nolan (63).
Thomas Dowling; Jamie Wall, Ian Craddock, Mark Foley; Craig Wall, David English, Eric English; Sean Whelan, Kevin Kavanagh; Adam Ryan, Ciaran Whelan, Padraig Hynes; Ciaran O’Neill, Marty Dalton, Jack Treacy. Subs: Sean Murphy for C Wall (45), Cian Meaney for Hynes (55), AJ Dooley for S Whelan (58).
Brian Deering (Rathvilly).
