TINRYLAND 2-10 BALLON 1-10: THEY CAN blow so hot they'd need anti-perspirant and so cold they need anoraks, but then that's Tinryland this season, and they required a dose of the higher temperature to see them over a resolute Ballon in the SFC in Dr. Cullen Park on Sunday, writes Paul Donaghy. Only for a sizzling opening half they would be out of the championship, and but for lanky Glen Doyle that chapter may not even have been written, for the No. 14 was the executioner-in-chief with 1-6, and had a hand in the opening goal too.

Victory pits them against Rathvilly in the quarterfinal but on this form, and even considering the poor performance of the champions the previous evening, the hoops will not be relishing the joust unless they can lift their delivery.

Tinryland hacked up in the first half, opening the scoring through Doyle, and he and Michael O'Leary (two frees) shared the opening four points in the first 16 minutes.

Although Frank Fanning saw a promising shot smothered by the defence, Tinryland went on a spree led by Doyle and registered 1-5 on the bounce; the goal in the 27th minute when a raid involving John Paul Moore Ian Scully, Doyle and Paul Doyle setting up Gary Morrissey to fire home a low shot from the left at the Dublin end.

Ballon, a fifteen-man disaster in that half closed it with an Alan Kelly free for a 1-7 to 0-3 scoreline; he losers not having scored from play and looking particularly pale.

Without warning the ' 09 intermediate champions threw off first half indifference and took the fight to the hoops who were on the rack for most of the half and closed down to a point (2-8 to 1-10) by the 47th minute, but as it turned out Alan Kelly's fifth and final score was their last, leaving Tinryland to close with a Glen Doyle free (49th) and Keith Jackson (59th) point. Ballon scored twice from Ross Nolan and Kelly within 75 seconds of the restart but their renewed vigour was curbed when Padraig Townsend did well on the right to transfer to Glen Doyle and the found the net just 122 seconds into the half. Ballon found reserves and with David Wilson Willie Byrne and Jimmy O'Brien solid at the back and Shane Byrne turning the game in the middle it was left to Kelly, O'Leary and Frank Fanning to torture the favourites' backs.

They gave their supporters a boost when they found the Tinryland net when a move involving Fanning, O'Leary and Kelly ended with Fanning scoring with a low shot from the left to close to 2-7 to 1-7 a mere seven minutes into the second half.

Moving Glen Doyle to midfield on the withdrawal of Cian Moore, and missing the injured John Paul Moore who left the scene with an injured arm at the interval, Tinryland scrambled through the second half; their skins saved by scoring twice to no return in the final 18 minutes.

"Towards the end I was pretty nervous I'll admit" said Glen Doyle who was man-of-the-match for Tinryland who qualified to meet Rathvilly in the SFC in Dr. Cullen Park on Sunday.

He did not take their first half lead for granted or as indication of success. "No, we knew Ballon would come out of the blocks in the second half. I was nervous when they got it back to a point and we needed to get the victory."

He looked to the final ten minutes of the first half as the period which finally saw them through and agreed that they would have to extend that form to longer periods to continue in the competition.

"We didn't get the rub of the green and Alan (Kelly) had a few shots on goal and there were a couple of deflections and a late free wide as well, and you'd put your house on Mousey (Michael O'Leary) to score," was the view of Ballon manager Pat Nolan.

"They battled really well this year and I can't complain…they've put up great performances in every game.'