Match Report

Ballyvarley Totally Collapse In Second Half

Date Filed: 03 June 2011

Ballyvarley were missing a few players for this important game, yet they entered the fray confident that they were strong enough to avenge last year’s junior championship final defeat. Playing against a stiff breeze in the first half the Reds began well and Colm O’Neill fired over the opening point while Clonduff struggled to make wind advantage tell and only managed two points themselves. However the Reds struggled to make any further headway up front and even though a steady supply reached the forward line, they never looked like making or taking any of the opportunities.
A Clonduff goal and two points was pulled back by a single point by Colm O’Neill and generally the Reds would have been content to be trailing by just five points at the interval with the advantage of a strong wind to come in the second half. However an injury to Thomas Lennon didn’t do Ballyvarley’s cause any good and a late Clonduff goal resulted from a late flurry of pressure.

Half time:  Clonduff  2-4   Ballyvarley  0-2

Again Ballyvarley started the half well and James McGrath and Colm O’Neill combined to put John O’Neill through for an excellent point from play but Ballyvarley were only to register one more point in the remainder of the game. The loss through injury of James McGrath helped trigger an almost total collapse as many of the Reds players showed no appetite or enthusiasm for the game. Michael Cairns, Adam Twohig, Eunan McConville, Colm O’Neill, Ciaran Connolly and an injured Thomas Lennon fought gallantly to stem the tide but generally this was a spiritless and lifeless second half display by many of the Reds players that was both very depressing and readily forgotten as Ballyvarley succumbed to their heaviest defeat at the hands of Clonduff at senior level.

Final score: Clonduff  5-14   Ballyvarley  0-4

Cathal O’Neill; Adam Twohig, Thomas Lennon, Eunan McConville; Sean Kennedy, James McGrath, Michael Cairns; Ciaran Connolly, John O’Neill(0-1); Steven Daly, Patrick Macken(0-1), Conor McClorey; Paul Stevenson, Colm O’Neill(0-3), Jonathan Lennon
Subs: Gavin McGreevey, Peter McConville, Michael McKay, Ciaron Davis