Ilen Rovers 2-9

Ballinora 0-15

NOEL HORGAN REPORTS

WHILE they had victory snatched from their grasp with virtually the last kick of the game, Ilen Rovers had most reason to count their blessings at the end of a gripping McCarthy Insurance Group Intermediate A Football Championship final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday.

They effectively gifted Ballinora a reprieve with a transgression of the three-player up rule in the dying seconds, allowing Neil Lordan to land an equalising two-pointer from the resultant free.

It was the least the Muskerry side deserved, however, as they dictated matters for much of a remarkable contest.

Afterwards, Ilen Rovers manager Flor O’Driscoll candidly acknowledged Ballinora were the better team on the day.

Ilen Rovers' Sean Connolly looks at his options as he breaks forward. (Photo: George Hatchell)

‘I think everybody could see that, and you have to be honest in how you assess a game. Ballinora will be happier than us with their performance, but there are positives we can take from it as well, and we have to believe we can do better in the replay,’ he said.

Ilen were most impressive during the opening quarter when Dermot Hegarty and Peadar O’Driscoll ruled the roost at midfield, and Sean Connolly and Michéal Sheehy were to the fore up front as they showed a facility to stretch the Ballinora rearguard with their purposeful, cohesive movement.

An expert bit of high-fielding on Hegarty’s part led to a slick raid involving Denis O’Driscoll, Sean Minihane and Dan MacEoin before Adrian O’Driscoll completed it with a well-taken goal in the ninth minute.

That made it 1-2 to 0-1, and scores from Sean Connolly and centre-back Jason Hickey followed to give Ilen a six-point cushion midway through the first-half.

Eibhlish and Aideen Duggan cheering on Ilen Rovers. (Photo: George Hatchell)

Once Ballinora’s midfielders Ivan Quirke and James Lordan began to break down ball and prevent the Ilen duo from winning clean aerial possession, the trend of the play swung firmly in Ballinora’s favour in the second quarter.

Mark O’Brien carried their sole threat up front early on, but Liam Lyons and especially Michael Quirke also made their presence felt as they cut the gap to the minimum with 28 minutes gone.

Considering Neil Lordan had an effort for a two-pointer from a free denied by the upright, and that Kevin Werner had been off-target from a close-range free earlier, the Mid Cork men could have been better positioned before they were stung by a fortuitous Ilen goal, which came courtesy of a speculative Dan MacEoin delivery from distance.

It was 2-4 to 0-7 after Michael Quirke completed the first-half scoring for Ballinora.

Ilen supporters Tadhg Ronan, Phelim Whooley and Fionn Daly cheering Rovers on. (Photo: George Hatchell)

Sean Connolly and Sean Minihane formed a new midfield pairing for Ilen in the second half, but Ballinora continued to make the running on the resumption. They reduced the deficit thanks to a Neil Lordan two-pointer from a free before the ever-menacing Michael Quirke was upended in the square by Peadar O’Driscoll, who was black-carded for his indiscretion.

Much to Ilen’s relief, goalkeeper Damien O’Sullivan proved equal to Quirke’s attempted conversion from the ensuing penalty, but Ballinora kept the momentum going, hitting the front for the first time, 0-11 to 2-4, after Ivan Quirke pointed in the 40th minute.

Fittingly, Shane Kingston, a powerhouse at centre-back, and Michael Quirke combined to create the opening for that score, as they were two of the game’s stand-out players over the hour.

Sheila and Paddy Collins with their grandchildren Leo and Ellie. (Photo: George Hatchell)

It’s testimony to Ilen’s steely determination that, benefiting from Peadar O’Driscoll’s reintroduction, they managed to stop the rot as the second half progressed.

Still, they rode their luck again in the closing stages when both Kevin Warner and Mark O’Brien went close to goaling for Ballinora, denied by Ilen corner-back Ciaran O’Dwyer and Damien O’Sullivan respectively.

Seasoned stalwart O’Sullivan, in view of his second-half save from the penalty, was certainly a leading light between the sticks for the South-West men, who had victory in their sights after a Dan MacEoin point from a free sandwiched by a brace shared by substitutes Kevin O’Driscoll and Alan Holland left them 2-9 to 0-12 to the good in stoppage time.

After substitute Ian Wycherley pulled a point back for Ballinora, Michael Quirke had what appeared to be a legitimate claim for a penalty ignored, but Neil Lordan’s last-gasp leveller ensured justice was done and they lived to fight another day.

Ballinora manager Ken O’Halloran remarked: ‘We left a lot of scores out there, and had bad shot selection at times, so to be still in it is testament to the character of the lads. If we had lost, it would have been very hard to take considering we played so well for so long, but we didn’t lose, and obviously we can thank Neil (Lordan) for that.’

So, it’s roll on Sunday, November 16th when the replay will be played, again at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, throw-in 1.30pm.

Scorers 

Ilen Rovers: D MacEoin 1-2 (2f); A O’Driscoll 1-1; M Sheehy 0-2; S Connolly, J Hickey, K O'Driscoll, A Holland 0-1 each.

Ballinora: N Lordan 0-4 (2 2ptf); M O’Brien 0-3; S Kingston 0-3 (1 45); L Lyons, D Holmes, M Quirke, I Quirke, I Wycherley 0-1 each.

Ilen Rovers: D O’Sullivan; D Coakley, J Collins, C O’Dwyer; A O’Sullivan, J Hickey, D O’Driscoll; D Hegarty, P O’Driscoll; B Collins, S Connolly, A O’Driscoll; D MacEoin, M Sheehy, S Minihane.

Subs: S Carey for D O’Driscoll (ht), C O’Driscoll for A O’Sullivan (38), K O’Driscoll for Minihane (56), C Harrington for Connolly (64).

Ballinora: A McAllen; A Laverty, N Lordan, C O’Flynn; D Dineen, S Kingston, J Byrne; I Quirke, J Lordan; M O’Brien, D Holmes, L Lyons; M Quirke, J Keohane, K Werner.

Subs: M Lordan for Holmes (50), D Byrne for I Quirke (51), A O’Sullivan for Keohane (54), I Wycherley for Lyons (54).

Referee: J Kelleher (Naomh Abán).