Lucky Shamrocks survive as gutted Ballycommon bow out in dramatic penalty shootout
SHAMROCKS certainly used up their nine lives as they advanced to the Senior Football Championship semi-finals with a dramatic penalty shootout win over gutted Ballycommon in Tullamore on Sunday afternoon.
Tullamore Court Hotel Senior Football Championship quarter-final
Shamnrocks 1-15
Ballycommon 3-9
(AET: Shamrocks win 3-2 on penalties)
Giving their best performance of the year by a country mile, Ballycommon looked set to win when they led by two points at half time of extra time and then a point with the minute of injury time at the end of the second period gone into the red.
Shamrocks were very lucky to get to the penalty shootout as their final equaliser from Alan Heffernan came a good half minute over the minute of announced injury time at the end of extra time – though Heffernan had as clear a goal chance as you will get from five metres, opting for power rather than placing it and blasting high over the bar.
The final whistle should have been gone before that and it would have been a travesty for Ballycommon to lose in those circumstances. It had been initially announced that two minutes of injury time would be played but that was immediately corrected to one and that would have been right as there was no way there had been any more than that due and it was hard to see how the additional time on top of this could be justified.
Shamrocks took full advantage in the penalty shootout with goalkeeper Sean O'Toole their hero, saving kicks from Ryan Kenny, Sean Conway and Gareth Mann – the save from Mann came after he had blasted home the best penalty of the lot to put them 3-2 ahead. Ballycommon goalkeeper Paul Scally had saved from Alan Heffernan and Scott Delaney while O'Toole blocked from Kenny before Conor Dunne got the first penalty for the losers. Nigel Dunne converted for Shamrocks and O'Toole saved from Conway before Jack Bryant and Stephen Conneely scored to make it 2-2 with sudden death looming.
It was a cruel way for Ballycommon to lose as they played well enough to win and a fancied Shamrocks survived mainly on their wits, albeit showing great character. Ryan Kenny had scored two first half penalties before missing the one in the shootout – he also got a super goal from play in the second half of normal time - while Nigel Dunne was the main reason Shamrocks are in the semi-finals.
It was a gripping game, full of twists and turns and it made for great viewing the whole way.
Shamrocks really missed the presence of David O'Toole-Greene, who had been arguably their best player this year but they welcomed back two players from abroad, with Alan Heffernann starting and scoring a crucial second half goal while Shane O'Toole-Greene came on – he made a big impact, though ring rustiness showed in some of his play.
Ballycommon also welcomed back a long term injury absentee with Aidan Bracken manning the defence and his display was instrumental in them dominating the first half.
Ballycommon played their best football of the year in the first half and should have been further ahead than 2-4 to 0-5 at half time.
Their two goals came from Ryan Kenny penalties but they should have had two more goals – Stephen Conneely tapped over the bar when Conor Dunne was unmarked inside him in the 10th minute while corner back, Chulainn Bolad was wide with a great chance in the 18th minute, getting a nudge at the right time.
Ballycommon were excellent in the first ten minutes and Ryan Kenny stroked home a seventh minute penalty, awarded for a foul on him by David O'Rourke. Conneely's point made it 1-3 to no score in the 10th minute and Shamrocks looked shell shocked.
Jack Bryant, one of their few players to hit form in the first half, got them off the mark in the 11th minute and the favourites improved marginally in the second quarter. They got the gap back to 1-4 to 0-4 after 27 minutes but Kenny's second penalty came a minute later. This time he went the opposite side after Padraig Cantwell fouled him. Ballycommon goalkeeper Paul Scally did make an excellent save to deny Bryant in injury time but Shamrocks did not deserve to be only two points down at the break and the underdogs were the best side by a distance in the first half.
Two points from Nigel Dunne, one from play, brought the gap down to a goal early in the second half but then Ryan Kenny struck for a super third goal, in the 36th minute. Kenny's low finish was top class and Ballycommon were in a great position but they were only to score once more.
Firstly Alan Heffernan gave Shamrocks the lifeline they had to get with a quality 39th minute goal after Dara Bates did very well to send him in. Sean Conway replied with a super point in the 43rd minute to make it 3-5 to 1-7 but Shamrocks got completely on top from here to the final whistle. They played their best football in the closing quarter and the way they controlled the game was very impressive.
Relying primarily on Nigel Dunne from frees, while he also slotted over a '45', Shamrocks did very well to get back on terms with eight minutes left. Shane O'Toole-Greene got the final equaliser and amazingly, there was to be no further score in normal time.
Shamrocks had all the momentum and you would have expected them to win it at this stage. Ballycommon looked out on their feet as they defended deeply, carried the ball into traffic and they made more errors. Yet they hung on and they had the best chance of winning it when awarded a free two minutes into injury time – Chris Kenny's kick was a difficult one from 35 metres into the wind but never threatened the goals and a relieved Shamrocks were glad to get extra time.
Having ran in subs to run down the clock and get fresh legs going, Ballycommon quickly restored three starters, Tom Mealiffe, Ryan Kenny and Dylan Martin to the team for extra time. As you would expect, it was all very tight and nervous with scores at a premium. Andrew Delaney gave Shamrocks the lead for the first time in the 65th minute but Ballycommon rallied very well, firing over three points to lead by two, 3-8 to 1-12 at the interval.
Nigel Dunne halved the deficit three minutes into the second period before Gareth Mann put Ballycommon back two ahead with a lovely score. Another quality Dunne point brought it back to the minimum. Ballycommon could have got two ahead again as Stephen Conneely blasted wide instead of getting the ball into hand in close to goals but they kept ball very professionally as the injury time ebbed away only for Shamrocks to be handed that last chance to salvage their aspirations.
MATCH ANALYSIS
MAN OF THE MATCH
Nigel Dunne (Shamrocks): Two forwards had a profound influence on this game. Ryan Kenny got 3-1, two goals from penalties and was their most important player on a day when their forwards struggled with point scoring again – they hadn't exceeded seven points in their three group defeats and had just five scored at the end of normal time which was a big factor in their defeat.
Nigel Dunne was man of the match, however. He was flawless in his shooting, scoring ten points, four of them from play. Had he been even a fraction off, Shamrocks would have lost while he also got his penalty in the shootout.
THE SCORERS
Shamrocks: Nigel Dunne 0-10 (5f and 1 '45'), Alan Heffernan 1-1, Jack Bryant 0-2, Andrew Delaney and Shane O'Toole-Greene 0-1 each.
Ballycommon: Ryan Kenny 3-1 (2 penalties), Gareth Mann 0-3 (2f), Chris Kenny 0-2 (2f), Sean Conway, Stephen Conneely and Conor Dunne 0-1 each.
Penalties:
Shamrocks 3: Nigel Dunne, Jack Bryant and Sean O'Toole;
Ballycommon 2: Conor Dunne and Stephen Conneely.
THE TEAMS
SHAMROCKS: Sean O'Toole; Luke Molloy, Gary Hutchinson, Padraig Cantwell; Neil Minnock, David O'Rourke, Eoghan Neville; Dara Bates, Scott Delaney; Alan Heffernan, Andrew Delaney, Dan Heffernan; Darragh Bryant, Nigel Dunne, Jack Bryant. Subs – Shane O'Toole-Greene for Minnock (HT), Jason Minnock for Dan Heffernan (48m), Jack Bates for Darragh Bryant (HT extra time),
BALLYCOMMON: Paul Scally; Chulainn Boland, Karl Dunne, Matthew Dempsey; Aidan Bracken, David Dempsey, Michael Conneely; Tom Mealiffe, Brian Todd; Sean Conway, Chris Kenny, Stephen Conneely; Ryan Kenny, Dylan Martin, Conor Dunne. Subs – Gareth Mann for Martin (52m), Robert Conneely for Ryan Kenny (57m), Paul Conway for Mealiffe (57m), Ryan Kenny for Robert Conneely (FT), Dylan Martin for Paul Conway (FT), Tom Mealiffe for Matthew Dempsey (FT), Robert Conneely for Mealiffe (79m).
Referee – Kevin Williamson (Tullamore).
REFEREE WATCH
Kevin Williamson refereed it very well but ended up a central figure because of the time at the end. Shamrocks couldn't complain at either of the first half penalties, he controlled it and got the vast majority of things right – Shamrocks did get a couple of soft looking frees in the closing quarter, though these balanced out when they didn't get a couple of ones they might have near the end of normal time. The big issue with his display that he allowed a minute extra over the announced one minute of injury time and Shamrocks got their equaliser thirty seconds into this. The final whistle should have been blown as there had been no delay to warrant that.
MOMENT MATCH
Alan Heffernan's equaliser at the end of extra time was the big moment here and while he should have scored a goal, Shamrocks were blessed as the final whistle should have been blown.
VENUE WATCH
There were no issues in O'Connor Park.
WHAT'S NEXT
Shamrocks go into the semi-finals while Ballycommon are in the relegation play offs.
STATISTICS
Wides: Shamrocks – (1 in first half, 3 in second half, 0 in 1st period extra time, 1 in 2nd period); Ballycommon - (4 in first half, 1 in second half, 1 in 1st period extra time, 2 in 2nd period).
Yellow cards: Ballycommon – 1 (Chris Kenny); Shamrocks – 1 (Padraig Cantwell).
Black cards: 0
Red cards: 0