Early start key as Killeshin cruise past Ballyfin into Round 3 of the Laois SFC
They racked up 2-4 in the first seven minutes
Killeshin's name will be in the hat for Round 3 of the Laois Senior Football Championship after they blew Ballyfin out of the water in this evening's Round 2 Qualifier clash in Laois Hire O'Moore Park.
They broke through the Ballyfin defence at will in the opening ten minutes as they held a double-digit lead with goals from Michael Gaffney and Evan Lowry while Ballyfin had only registered a single point.
Killeshin 4-17
Ballyfin 0-11
The game got off to an electric start as Killeshin had the goal in the Ballyfin net within 25 seconds of the throw-in. Michael Doran and Michael Gaffney played a one-two with the latter raising a green flag. Eoin Lowry opened his account to get Killeshin's first point. David Mahon almost got a second goal after three minutes but his shot was saved by Eoin Connolly. Evan Lowry (free) and Jack Milton pointed to make it 1-3 to no-score after five minutes.
That lead would soon grow to nine points as Evan Lowry rifled the ball into the top corner which went over Eoin Connolly's head. His brother Eoin took his tally to two points with the next score. Ballyfin finally got their name on the scoreboard with eight minutes as Allan Connolly came forward and struck the ball between the posts. Eoin Lowry and Sean Moore traded points before Evan English kicked two points in a row, one coming from a mark.
Moore was proving dangerous in the Ballyfin attack as he normally does as he kicked a second point of the evening. Evan and Eoin Lowry got the next three scores, Eoin getting two of them and one came from a free. Ballyfin scored three points unanswered as Moore kicked a free while Allan and Adam Connolly scored a point each.
English kicked a third point of the half with Moore replying from a free. Killeshin ended the half the same way that they started it as Eoin Lowry scored the rebound of a Milton shot which hit the crossbar. Killeshin led 3-11 to 0-7 at the break.
Ballyfin had Jack Cleary to thank for preventing a fourth goal shortly after the restart. Sean Moore kicked the first two scores of the half from a free and from a mark. Eoin Lowry replied down the other with a mark of his own with Evan Lowry kicking over two frees soon after. Adam Connolly and Michael Doran traded points as Killeshin were home and hosed with Ballyfin not creating any goal opportunities to get back into the game. Moore kicked a seventh point of the evening from a free to end their scoring on the night in the 52nd minute as the game began to fizzle out and Killeshin well on their way to victory.
A fourth Killeshin goal came in the 55th minute and it was that man again Evan Lowry as picked up a loose ball from James Davis and drilled it low and hard into the Ballyfin net. Eoin Lowry kicked another two scores before the end as Killeshin won by 18-points.
The defeat for Ballyfin means that they now drop down to the Senior 'B' Championship while Killeshin will be waiting for the draw on Sunday evening to find out their Round 3 opponents. They'll face the losers of a Round 2 Winners game.