Ballinascreen edge out Swatragh in hard fought win

Ballinascreen 3-13 ... Swatragh 1-17

Reece McSorley got the decisive touch in added time, deflecting a dropping free from Eamon Conway to the net, as Ballinascreen edged a dramatic victory on Saturday evening.

It was McSorley’s third goal of the game, capping a thrilling finale to a match that came to life in the closing stages. Both sides entered the contest with opening-round wins and had hopes of booking a semi-final spot. Despite the stakes, the game struggled for quality at times, with 21 wides shared between the teams and little room afforded by either side.

McSorley netted his first on nine minutes, capitalising when the sliotar broke kindly to him in the square. He was denied a second moments later by a superb interception from Patrick Turner, before four unanswered points put Swatragh ahead for the first time by the 17th minute.

The game then became a point-for-point affair. Fintan McGurk hit a brace for the visitors, while Noel Rafferty responded with the pick of Ballinascreen’s scores. Paul Cleary and James Friel were accurate from frees, before PJ O’Connell’s strike saw the sides head into the break level at 1-6 to 0-9.

Swatragh started the second half brighter. Tiarnan Walsh landed a superb long-range point, followed by another from O’Connell to give them a two-point cushion. However, despite growing in possession, Ballinascreen struggled with their finishing, racking up six successive wides to let Swatragh off the hook.

Cleary eventually landed two points to level things up again, only for O’Connell to edge Swatragh back in front. Ciaran McBride made an immediate impact off the bench for the hosts, hitting three points to nudge Ballinascreen ahead with four minutes of normal time left.

Then came the fireworks. McGurk fired in a Swatragh goal to flip the scoreboard once more, only for McSorley to immediately cancel it out with his second major. Dominic Bradley followed up with a point to bring the sides level again. With the clock ticking into injury time, the teams exchanged further scores before Conway stepped up for what looked like a long-range effort to win it from his own ’65 near the stand side.

His shot dropped short into a packed goalmouth, and McSorley, alert to the chaos, got the crucial touch to guide it into the net for a two-point lead.

Swatragh weren’t done yet. Sean Martin Quinn was dragged down, giving Friel a chance from a free that was deflected out for a ’65. His first effort soared over, reducing the gap to one, and another late free dropped dangerously into the square. As bodies piled in, the referee blew the final whistle, confirming a hard-fought Ballinascreen win.

The result puts Ballinascreen top of the group on four points, with Swatragh and Banagher both on two. All three sides remain in the hunt for the two semi-final spots. In the final round, Ballinascreen travel to face Banagher, while Swatragh host Eoghan Rua in what promises to be another tense weekend.

Ballinascreen's Eoin McCallion and Swatragh's John McAllister

Teams & Scorers

Ballinascreen: R McSorley 3-0, P Cleary 0-8 (f), C McBride 0-3, N Rafferty and C Connery 0-1 each.

Swatragh: F McGurk 1-2, J Friel (3f, 1’65) and PJ O’Connell 0-4 each, D Quinn 0-3 (f), T Walsh, C Quinn, B Bradley and D Bradley 0-1 each.

Ballinscreen: Martin Mulgrew; Jamie Lee McGlade, Ciaran Doyle, Andy McBride; Shane Grant, John McAllister, Dean Flanagan; Ruairi McWilliams, Rory O’Kane; Noel Rafferty, Eamon Conway, Paul Cleary; Eoin McCallion, Reece McSorley, Aaron Kelly. Subs: Caolan Connery, Ciaran McBride.

Swatragh: Niall McQuillan; Ben Kearney, Patrick Turner, Sean Francis Quinn; Sean Martin Quinn, Tiarnan Walsh, Cathal Quinn; James Friel, Paul Gunning; Fintan McGurk, Cathal Murray, Declan Quinn; Dominic Bradley, PJ O’Connell, Paddy Quinn. Subs: Brendan Bradley, Malachi O’Hagan.

Referee: Aidan McAleer.