Orans run brought to abrupt end by Ballinasloe

AIB Connacht Club JFC Final

Ballinasloe (Galway) 4-11 Oran (Roscomon) 0-07

Seamus Duke

Oran’s great run in the junior football championship this year came to an end in no uncertain terms when they were well beaten by an impressive Ballinasloe outfit in this final played in Kiltoom on Saturday.

  Oran conceded two goals in the first seven minutes of play and it was a setback that they could not recover from. They battled away gamely and were in contention at half-time. However they needed to score at least one goal to get back into the game and it never

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AIB Connacht Club JFC Final

Ballinasloe (Galway) 4-11 Oran (Roscomon) 0-07

Seamus Duke

Oran’s great run in the junior football championship this year came to an end in no uncertain terms when they were well beaten by an impressive Ballinasloe outfit in this final played in Kiltoom on Saturday.

  Oran conceded two goals in the first seven minutes of play and it was a setback that they could not recover from. They battled away gamely and were in contention at half-time. However they needed to score at least one goal to get back into the game and it never looked like coming. Then Ballinasloe struck for two more goals in the final quarter to give a lob-sided look to the scoreboard at the finish. But Ballinasloe were the better team throughout and they could always get the scores when they needed them. 

  The game was stopped for a lengthy period in the first half as Ballinasloe player Colm Riddell sustained what looked like a neck or back injury after a very harmless looking tackle. He was taken from the field immediately and was later transferred to hospital by air ambulance, which arrived very promptly. I understand that, thankfully, the player is fine and will make a full recovery.

  Oran’s cause was not helped either when their star player and man of the match in the county final, Thomas Fetherston, had to leave the field with a leg injury after only nine minutes of play.

  Paul Kenny opened the scoring for Oran with a nice point in the 3rd minute but then Ballinasloe struck for two goals. In the 4th minute Darragh Burke pounced to flick home after Paul Whelehan’s shot came off a post, and then three minutes later Darragh McCormack fired home on the rebound after his first shot was saved by Michael Monaghan.

  A point from a free from Keith Kelly extended the Ballinasloe lead but Oran competed well from there to half-time. Points from Paul Kenny (two, 1 free) Joe Cassidy (free) and Michael Dwyer saw them well in contention at half-time. The score at the break was Ballinasloe 2-3 Oran 0-5. There were nine minutes of injury-time after that serious injury to Ballinasloe player Riddell.

  Oran brought in Michael Gunning at half-time and he opened the second-half proceedings with a smart point, but Ballinasloe could always keep their noses in front. Padraig Cunningham pointed from play and then Keith Kelly kicked two placed balls over to extend their lead to six points. Joe Cassidy kicked a free for Oran in the 44th minute but that was to be their last score of the game.

  Liam Lynch and Luke Tierney took over in the middle of the field for Ballinasloe and they tacked on the scores. Gary Canavan fired home a 48th minute goal after a super pass from Whelehen. Then, after further points from Darragh McCormack and Liam Lynch, Paul Whelehan scored Ballinasloe’s fourth goal to seal a great win for them. 

  Referee Jerome Henry needlessly sent off three players, Paul Kenny and Eamonn Kenny of Oran and Paul Cunningham of Ballinasloe, in the final 10 minutes – all for second yellow card offences when there was hardly a bad tackle in the entire game. 

  However it was Ballinasloe’s day, and while it was a heavy defeat for Oran, they enjoyed a very successful year and have a young and talented team and will be looking forward to playing in the Roscommon intermediate championship in 2013.

Ballinasloe: Nathan King; Shane Kelly, James Shaughnessy, Eoin Fenton; Marcus Kelly, Keith Kelly (0-5, 4 frees 1 ’45), Niall Hynes; Luke Tierney, Liam Lynch (0-2, 1 free); Darragh Burke (1-0), Padraig Cunningham (0-1), Gary Canavan (1-0); Darragh McCormack (1-1), Colm Riddell, Paul Whelehan (1-1). Subs: Paddy Ryan for Riddell, Michael Colohan (0-1) for Ryan, Ronan O’Healy for Hynes, Niall Stack for Fenton, Shane Kenny for M Kelly.

Oran: Michael Monaghan; John Concannon, Thomas Fetherston, Kevin Concannon; Mark Gunning (0-1), David McDermott, Micheal Dwyer; Declan Leonard, Robert Varley; Niall Mullen, Eoin McGreevy, Eamonn Kenny; Paul Kenny (0-3, 1 free), Derek Harrington, Joe Cassidy (0-2, frees). Subs: Cathal Kenny for Fetherston, Patrick Varley for Concannon, Micheal Gunning (0-1) for Harrington, Colm Mee for Dwyer, Ivan Conneely for Mullen.

Referee: Jerome Henry (Mayo). 

Man of The Match: Keith Kelly (Ballinasloe)

Most of the candidates were on the Ballinasloe side. Luke Tierney and Liam Lynch were very impressive at midfield, while up front, Darragh Burke and Paul Whelehan were very lively all through. However Galway senior player Keith Kelly led by example at centre-half-back. His free-taking was excellent and he was prominent throughout. For Oran, Paul Kenny, Michael Dwyer, Joe Cassidy and sub Michael Gunning were best.

Roscommon People

Issue: 16th November 2012