Larries brush Larks aside in second half to retain senior status
Joe Mallon Motors SFC Relegation final
St Laurence's 3-10
Ballyteague 1-6
St Laurence's retained their senior status after a Lazarus-type second half display that saw then turn a four point half-time deficit into an ten point victory in a game that saw both teams finish with 13 players.
Larries who joined the senior ranks back in 1980 will perform at the top level once again come 2024 but for Ballyteague they must revert back to the intermediate ranks after just 12 months in the senior grade.
Possession-wise St Laurence's dominated the opening half but it was Ballyteague who dominated the score board taking their chances as distinct from St Laurence's hitting six wides in the opening half.
It was the boys from the south of the county who opened the scoring with Joe Hanamy firing over but The Larks hit back with three frees on the trot, all from Jimmy Hyland with the county man also being fouled for two of those, the other foul was on Fionn Murphy.
After three wides St Laurence's finally found the range again after a fine move ended with Joe Hanamy getting his second of the game, the initial move beginning with a poor kick-out finding Jason McHugh who set the move in motion.
Mid-way through and an excellent 45m effort from Stephen Ennis split the posts for The Larks and a minute later, a vital score in a game such as this saw Jimmy Hyland link up with Seamus Hanafin, who found Paudi Murphy, who in turn passed to Seamus Hanafin who hit the ball low to the corner of the net to make it 1-4 to 0-2 for Ballyteague, 16 minutes on the clock.
Padraig O'Neill converted a free before Glen Thorpe found Fionn Murphy who took his mark and made it 1-5 to 0-4 as the long whistle arrived.
Joe Hanamy fired over the opening point of the second half and on 38 minutes a high ball in from a Padraig O'Neill ended up in the Ballyteague net, possibly Jack Dargan getting a touch to level up matters.
Three minutes later and after a short kick-out went to that man Joe Hanamy, the quick thinking corner forward duly chipped Richard Reddan to find the net and take a three point lead.
Jimmy Hyland was then put in but was blatantly pulled down by Niall Clynch, and not for the first time in these championships, the black card failed to make an appearance, the offender being shown yellow; Hyland fired over the resultant free to leave it 2-5 to 1-6 after 43 minutes but little did we know that would be Ballyteague's last score of the game and their only score of the second half.
Adam Steed and Felix Lawlor added points before goal no 3 arrived, again from a short kick-out, Lawlor squeezing the ball to the net.
Lawlor and Padraig O'Neill (2 frees) as the game disintegrated with a few scuffles, totally unnecessary, saw Jimmy Hyland picking up a second yellow soon followed by reds for Paraic Hanley (Ballyteague) and Jason McHugh (Larries) as the game finally was brought to a halt with St Laurence's winning on a score line of 3-10 to 1-6.
Scorers: St Laurence's, Joe Hanamy 1-3, Felix Lawlor 1-2, Jack Dargan 1-0, Padraig O'Neill 0-3 (3 frees); Adam Steed 0-2.
Ballyteague, Jimmy Hyland 0-4 (4 frees), Seamus Hanafin 1-0, Fionn Murphy 0-1 (mark), Stephen Ennis 0-1.
ST LAURENCE'S: Richard Redden; Ciaran O'Sullivan, Stephen Mann, Luke Gorman; Jack Dargan, Niall Clynch, Niall O'Connor; Kevin Eustace, Jason McHugh; Oisin Grufferty, Adam Steed, Aaron Gorman; Felix Lawlor, Padraig O'Neill, Joe Hanamy. Subs: Ian Fleming for Aaron Gorman (44 minutes); Tom Dooley for Felix Lawlor (54 minutes); Michael O'Sullivan for Kevin Eustace (58 minutes): Eoin Curley for Jack Dargan (61 minutes).
BALLYTEAGUE: Derrick Mooney; Ryan Webb, David Randles, Conor Mullaney; Gary Nugent, Paraic Hanley, Glen Thorpe; Gerry Melia, Seamus Hanafin; Paudi Murphy, Stephen Ennis, Jimmy Hyland; Cathal Hanafin, Brian McGrath, Fionn Murphy. Subs: Conor Hanley for Paudi Murphy (42 minutes); Cian Loughlin for Gary Nugent (42 minutes); Tommy Callan for Stephen Ennis (55 minutes); Paul Byrne for Brian McGrath (55 minutes).
REFEREE: Fergus Devereux.