Rhode in control as Ballycommon learn hard top flight lessons
IMPRESSIVE in an almost understated way, Rhode never looked like losing as they collected their second brace of points in the Senior Football Championship in Rhode on Thursday evening.
Tullamore Court Hotel Senior Football Championship Group 1 Round 2
Rhode 2-11
Ballycommon 0-7
The 2-11 to 0-7 scoreline was a fair measure of the difference between the teams. From the moment that Niall McNamee hit the roof of the net in the fifth minute, Rhode looked like they would win and there was never a true chance of an upset here.
1-6 to 0-4 ahead at half time, Rhode closed out the deal very efficiently in the second half and with two wins out of two, they are motoring along very nicely. This was a definite improvement from their first round win over Bracknagh when they really sat back in the second half and they will be happy with where they are.
Their closing group game against Tullamore will tell more about their state of health but with every team qualifying, you can expect that to be more like shadow boxing than the all encompassing intensity of high stakes football – though the nature of the rivalry between Offaly's two most successful football clubs will ensure that both will want to lay down a marker.
Once again Ballycommon played with complete honesty. Last year's senior “B” champions are very much holding their own in the top flight and were unlucky to face two of the toughest teams, Tullamore and Rhode in their first two games. They were much closer to an upset against Tullamore but there is an unavoidable and unpalatable truth for Ballycommon to face up to – they are finding it very, very difficult to unlock the defensive structure of the best teams and 12 points in two games will not win senior football games.
They only managed five points in the first round against Tullamore when two somewhat fortunate goals put them on the brink of a fantastic result. They almost got a draw that day and while it would have been against the head, it would not have been without merit. It was a different story here and a comment by one of their players in injury time seeking the final whistle was a symptom of a well beaten team.
Teams like Tullamore and Rhode build from the back up and are very hard to break down. Until Ballycommon learn to do that, they will find the going tough at senior level and the challenge for them is to reach double figures in their final group game against Bracknagh, where they will have very realistic chance of winning.
To be fair to Ballycommon, it was a very difficult evening for football with heavy rain before hand making the ground slippy and a strong cross field win helping neither side. Ballycommon, however, only managed two points from play, one from Chris Kenny who started very well and the other from sub, Ian Scally but that is way short of what is required and they struggled to get any change of an outstanding Rhode defence who over turned a lot of ball and never put a foot wrong.
With Niall McNamee back on the Rhode team and scoring 1-3 of his 1-5 from play, the winners had ample quality up front to open up the Ballycommon defence and create scores. Without fully clicking, Rhode played quite well and their movement was very good.
Rhode buried one of their favourite sons this week, Martin Heavey, an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medal winner in 1971 and 1972 and a key figure on the side that won the Offaly Senior Football Championship in 1966, 1967 and 1969.
His son Ciaran was on the Rhode team here, just a day after his burial on Wednesday and Rhode grabbed control in the first half, leading by 1-6 to 0-4 at half time.
A fantastic Niall McNamee goal in the fifth minute, blasted to the net after an Anton Sullivan lay off, gave them a 1-1 to 0-1 lead and the start they needed.
After this, it developed into a dogfight with both sides conceding turnovers but Ballycommon finding it hard to break down a very good Rhode defence.
The visitors were still in a good position when they trailed by 1-2 to 0-3 after 23 minutes but Rhode clicked into another gear coming up to half time. Four quick points on the trot, all from play and from four different players – Ciaran Heavey, Ruari McNamee, Brian Darby and the pick of the bunch, a Niall McNamee beauty – saw them open daylight.
Gareth Mann's injury time free left Ballycommon five behind at the break and very much up against it.
1-2 without reply in the opening eight minutes of the second half put the issue beyond reach – the goal was a fine finish by Niall Darby who interchanged with Ruari McNamee after Anton Sullivan turned down a mark and kept going. Ballycommon got three in a row to make it 2-8 to 0-7 after 50 minutes but never looked like getting in for the goals they needed.
Rhode replied with three in a row themselves, two from the boot of the very impressive Niall McNamee, as it all drifted out very harmlessly.
MATCH ANALYSIS
MAN OF THE MATCH
Ross Kellaghan (Rhode): Rhode had a lot of players who performed at a very efficient, solid level. Niall McNamee was an obvious contender up front, while you could pick any of their defenders with Jake Kavanagh typical of their display, doing the simple thing so effectively at full back and cutting out a lot of ball.
My choice is one of their youngest and newest players Ross Kellaghan. He started in the attack but spent considerable time out the field and there was something very impressive about the way he performed, before being given a rest with five minutes left. He moved very well, gave good passes and regularly offered an option for the man in possession. He was unlucky not to crown his display with a goal as he hit the crossbar in the 45th minute.
THE SCORERS
Rhode: Niall McNamee 1-5 (2f), Niall Darby 1-0, Brian Darby, Darren Garry, Ruari McNamee, Ciaran Heavey, Ryan Kellaghan, Anton Sullivan 0-1 each.
Ballycommon: Gareth Mann 0-3 (3f), Ryan Kenny (mark), Chris Kenny, Sean Conway and Ian Scally 0-1 each.
THE TEAMS
RHODE: Jack Kilmurray; Ryan Kellaghan, Jake Kavanagh,James McPadden; Gareth McNamee, Conor McNamee, Niall Darby; Darren Garry, Ciaran Heavey; Brian Darby, Ruari McNamee, Dylan Kilmurray; Ross Kellaghan, Niall McNamee, Anton Sullivan. Subs – Padraic Sullivan for Heavey (44m), Shane Lowry for Dylan Kilmurray (51m), Alan McNamee for Ross Kellaghan (55m), Eoin Rigney for Brian Darby (55m).
BALLYCOMMON: Paul Scally; David Dempsey, Tom Mealiff, Matthew Dempsey; Paul Conway, Chulainn Boland, Michael Conneely; Brian Todd, Dylan Martin; Karl Dunne, Chris Kenny, Stephen Conneely; Ryan Kenny, Gareth Mann, Conor Dunne. Subs – Sean Conway for Mealiffe (42m), Ian Scally for Conor Dunne (46m), TJ Bermingham for Ryan Kenny (49m), Killian Owens for Martin (51m).
Referee – Joey Deehan, Clara.
REFEREE WATCH
On a difficult evening for football, Joey Deehan handled it well. He allowed for the conditions and there were no major incidents.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
From the moment Niall McNamee scored his excellent goal in the fifth minute, we knew what way this one was going to go.
VENUE WATCH
It was an emotional occasion for Rhode GAA Club following the burial on Wednesday of one of their favourite sons, 1971-'72 All-Ireland medal winner, Martin Heavey. There was a moving minute's silence for him before the game and they hosted the fixture very well. It was a pity that the evening was so bad and miserable. The Rhode pitch looked good but it was very exposed with no covered accommodation for supporters, and this had an adverse impact on the crowd – with every team qualifying from the groups, it was only the really dedicated that attended.
WHAT'S NEXT
Rhode play Tullamore in a clash of the titans while Ballycommon take on Bracknagh in round 3.
STATISTICS
Wides: - Rhode – 7 (3 in first half); Ballycommon – 5 (3 in first half).
Yellow cards: Rhode – 1 (Ruari McNamee); Ballycommon – 1 (Ryan Kenny).
Black cards: 0
Red cards: 0.