Ballinabranna best in derby
Eire Og's Darragh Coffey, Eire Og comes under pressure from Cillian Murphy of Grange during the IFC game.
Tuesday August 31 2010
BALLINABRANNA 2-13 LEIGHLINBRIDGE 1-09: BALLINABRANNA made sure they were not going to go out of the intermediate football championship at McGrath Park on Sunday as the defeated neighbours Leighlinbridge by seven points in a game of "winner takes all." This was a strong championship performance from Ballinabranna, with good team work, players working for one another, and at this stage look serious title contenders.
Exchanges were close in the first quarter, as the sides were level on three occasions.
Leighlinbridge open the scoring with a Conor Nolan point, Jim Dunne with a pointed free, cranked up the Ballinabranna engine. Paddy Dunne and Des Shaw traded points, as did Eoin Paul Keating and Shaw again. No clear pattern as yet and it looked as if this game would go down to the wire. Level at 0-3 each at the end of the first quarter, Entering the second quarter Ballinabranna pressed the super sonic button as the scores came fast and furious in the space of ten minutes they had added 1-6 to Leighlinbridge's 0-2, and it was in this period that they laid the foundation for success. Two Paddy Dunne pointed frees, one from play from 'red' Damian Sheehan, and Bobby Daly setting up Paddy Dunne for a fourth point in the space of six minutes, showed Ballinabranna's dominance at this stage. Johnny Kavanagh pointing from play kept Leighlinbridge in touch.
Five minutes before the break full forward Paddy Dunne sent a hard shot into the Leighlinbridge goal and thirty seconds later the same player added a point. Eoin Paul Keating added their ninth point, before Des Shaw pulled back one back. Half time score was Ballinabranna 1-9 Leighlinbridge 0-5.
Ballinabranna increased their lead with two points on the restart, Leighlinbridge rallied and narrowed the gap to six points, with Peter Foley coming on and kicking a point inside of sixty seconds. Leighlinbridge were putting their neighbours under fierce pressure as the Ballinabranna defence had to work hard to keep at least two shots from crossing the goal line.
A steadying point from Brian Kinsella from play steadied the winners as their second goal came ten minutes from the end, involving a great move set up by Bobby Daly, and Damian Sheehan, put Paddy Dunne through for his and Ballinabranna's second goal and put the game past Leighlinbridge. Des Shaw shot home a late goal for Leighlinbridge but it was too little too late.
- TOMMY MURPHY At McGrath Park
