Match Report

Ballyvarley Stun The Ferry' Men

Date Filed: 03 June 2011

Ballyvarley provided the shock result of the week when they travelled to table-topping Portaferry and produced a magnificent seven goal salvo that stunned the Ard’s men and enabled the Reds to pull off a surprise seven point victory. It was a tale of two amazing hat-tricks from the oldest and youngest players on the field as 17 year old Jonathan Lennon fired in three in a row midway through the first half to confound the home side and then 56 year old veteran, Sean O’Neill completed his sixth career hat-trick to deflate Portaferry’s desperate second half come-back. 
It was the stuff that legends are made of as an under-strength Ballyvarley side threw caution to the wind and produced an almost perfect team performance. Everything went right for the visitors and with Colm O’Neill and James McGrath leading the charge, the Reds got off to a perfect start. A defence splitting move between Colm and Sean O’Neill set James McGrath on his way and he fairly buried the sliotar in the back of the Portaferry net. Three points from Portaferry dragged the Reds back but a point from James McGrath and a measured finish by Sean O’Neill to the corner of the home net pushed Ballyvarley’s noses in front again. Two Portaferry points kept the issue finely balanced but then came Jonathan Lennon’s goal surge to push the Reds into an unbelievable lead. A second James McGrath point started the scoring spree and then Jonathan pounced on a rebound in the square to touch home goal number one. Then followed a balmy five minute spell when he soloed through for two more top class finishes to complete his first ever hat-trick and give Ballyvarley an eleven point lead at the half way stage. 

Half time:   Portaferry  0-6   Ballyvarley  5-2

Thoughts of the Down minor footballers five goal spree and subsequent collapse against Armagh were fresh in the mind but Ballyvarley had the bit firmly in their teeth and were determined to hold on for an historic victory. Portaferry threw everything forward after the interval and three early points from the home side set an ominous tone. However, in true story book fashion heroes emerged to save the day and Niall Savage soloed clear to send over the Reds first reply and then up popped Sean O’Neill with goal number six and suddenly Ballyvarley had stretched their lead to twelve.
The Portaferry pressure continued to mount but heroic defending limited their tally to one goal and three points as Ballyvarley hung on grimly to a six point cushion. Thomas Lennon emerged as the battle-scared hero in that bruising final quarter with goalkeeper David Lavery, Eunan McConville, Peter McConville, Stephen Daly, Gavin McGreevey and Colm O’Neill all getting bodies in the way of goal-bound shots to frustrate the home side’s frenetic efforts to claw back the deficit. Ciaran Connolly, Conor McClorey, Michael McKay, Rory McShane and James McGrath provided the outlet for the Reds sporadic breakaways and in one such move Niall Savage provided the telling cross that saw Sean O’Neill complete his hat-trick to edge the visitors out of Portaferry’s reach. It was fitting that the man who started it all, James McGrath, should have the final say, with a magnificent catch, solo and point to complete Ballyvarley’s scoring. A last minute goal from Portaferry came too late to save their unbeaten record and on the final whistle Ballyvarley celebrated an heroic win.
 
Final score:  Portaferry  2-12   Ballyvarley  7-4
 
David Lavery; Peter McConville, Thomas Lennon, Eunan McConville; Stephen Daly, Colm O’Neill(capt), Gavin McGreevey; Ciaran Connolly, Conor McClorey; Jonathan Lennon(3-0), Niall Savage(0-1), Michael McKay; Rory McShane, James McGrath(1-3), Sean O’Neill(3-0).  Sub: Ciaran Davis