Ballinhassig hold off Valleys comeback to clinch U21 title

Ballinhassig 3-6

Valley Rovers 2-6

JJ HURLEY REPORTS

A LATE Valley Rovers' rally could not prevent Ballinhassig from claiming the South East U21B Football Championship at Brinny.

Despite only scoring one score – a goal – for the second period of the game, it brought the Innishannon outfit within two points of their opponents as the game ticked away.

With the wind at their backs, the home side took full advantage, opening up an early lead with a brace of frees from Shane Ryan.

While both teams deserve huge credit for coming to terms with the terrible weather conditions, Ballinhassig waited longer to settle. Eventually, joint team captain, Ronan Casey, brought order to his side with a brace of frees.

The parity didn't last long as Darra McCarthy finished a fine Valley's move to the neighbouring parish's net, and a subsequent Ryan free looked like giving the home side a decent advantage.

However, Ballinhassig were finding their rhythm and despite the heroics of Liam Dineen in the Valley's goal, Ballinhassig netted three times in the ten minutes leading up to half-time from Patrick O'Regan, Jack Griffin and Casey.

Points from O’Shea and Ryan during the same period kept the Innishannon lads on the Blues’ coattails as the half-time whistle went.

Casey opened the Blues account in the first seven minutes of the second period.  Ballinhassig began to take control of the tie as Lombard added another well-taken point to leave the score at 3-5 to 1-6. Eventually, the lifeline arrived for Valleys with a Mathew Kelleher goal, leaving two points between the teams.

Brian Lynch looked to have sealed the victory with a 56th-minute point, but Valleys almost equalised with a last-minute goal, only for it to be ruled out for a square infringement.

Scorers

Ballinhassig: Ronan Casey 1-3 (2f); P O'Regan, Jack Griffin 1-0; Sean Lombard 0-2; Brian Lynch 0-1.

Valley Rovers: Mathew Kelleher 1-1; Darragh McCarthy 1-0; Shane Ryan 0-3 (2f); Evan O’Shea 0-2.

Ballinhassig: J O'Rourke; C Deasy, C Delea, L Kirby; C Kirby, D O'Regan, L Farley; R Casey, J Griffin; P O'Regan, C Barry-Murphy, B Lynch; Sean Lombard. Subs: S Cussen for C Kirby (37), A Cussen for C Barry-Murphy (45), S Butler for Jack Griffin (52).

Valley Rovers: L Dinnen; C Reardon, D Shiels, L Casey; A Slattery, A Huggard, E O’Shea; H O'Sullivan, D Brady, S Ryan, D McCarthy; M Kelleher, C Hoey. Subs: A Murphy for C Hoey (ht), C Murphy for D Brady (47), S Crowe for C Reardon (48), E O'Sullivan for A Murphy (inj, 50)

Referee: A Cummins (Ballymartle).