Early goals decisive as Cooley breeze past Longford Champions

AIB Leinster Club Intermediate Football Championship First Round

Cooley Kickhams 2-13    Ballymahon (Longford) 0-6

The red-hot favourites Cooley Kickhams crossed the first hurdle in the Leinster Club Intermediate Football Championship with considerable comfort in beating Ballymahon by the wide margin of 13-points at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Saturday. 

The men from the Penninsula were trading at odds on prices which were so short that very few punters would have had the funds available to make any significant profit. Yet two first half goals made sure those that did knew their money was safely in the bank. 

Wing back James O’Reilly surged forward to fire a cracking shot into the back of the net with just six minutes gone on the clock and Ballymahon were dealt another shattering blow when the visitors were awarded a penalty.

Up stepped full-forward Michael Rafferty to convert the kick for the killer second goal in the 20th minute and it was really all over as a contest at the break with Cooley in a commanding 2-6 to 0-3 lead.

Ballymahon, to their credit, tried hard to close the gap and their perseverance was rewarded with three points in a row - the first from 44-year-old veteran Trevor Smullen along with a brace of Jack Walshe frees. Their high age profile was always going to make life tough for them. 

That was as good as it got for the South Longford side in the second half and their tale of woe was complete when their keeper Keith Manley was sent-off in stoppage time for a second yellow card offence meaning Cooley advanced to the next round with relative ease.

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With the advantage of the wind in the first half, Ballymahon made a bright start when Danny Ryan blasted a volley over the bar with less than two minutes played. 

Back came Cooley with a very good point from Cian Connor, quickly followed by the James O’Reilly goal, and they could have extended their lead but for a tame effort from Enda O’Neill who was well placed to find the back of the net in the ninth minute. 

Then came another Connor score for Cooley before Eddie Noonan landed a terrific long-range point for Ballymahon in the 18th minute. 

Kickhams replied soon after with the second goal from a penalty, awarded after the Ballymahon keeper Keith Manley fouled Peter Thornton who was on his way through in his bid to find the back of the net. 

A further brace of Cooley points followed from O’Neill and Connor and while Jack Walshe (free) replied for Ballymahon. The superior Louth side produced a strong finish to the first half with a brace of scores through Patrick Johnson and Rafferty. 

The Kickhams lead was extended to 11 points when James O’Reilly and Johnson (mark) shot over the bar in the early stages of the second half before the brief Ballymahon revival yielded three points between the 38th and 45th minutes. All while shooting a few wides in the process of enjoying their best spell in the game.  

During that period Johnson squandered a clear-cut goal chance for Cooley but there was no need for any panic as they went on to fire over five more points through Fergal Malone (free), Michael Rafferty, substitute Brian White and Enda O’Neill (2) in the final quarter of this damp contest. 

Much tougher tests await for Cooley in their battle for Leinster glory, their next hurdle being a date with the Dublin champions Naomh Barróg at a Louth venue on the weekend of November 5th/6th.   

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COOLEY KICKHAMS: Neil Gallagher; Ronan McBride, Gerry Malone, Dean McGreehan; James O’Reilly (1-1), Fergal Malone (0-1 free), Patrick Hanlon; Richard Brennan, Darren Marks; Enda O’Neill (0-3), Patrick Johnson (0-2, 0-1 mark), Michael Carron; Cian Connor (0-3), Michael Rafferty (1-2, 1-0 pen), Peter Thornton. Subs: Brian White (0-1) for Connor (38); Conor McGuinness for R Brennan (55); Declan Sheelan for M Carron (56); Gerard Hanlon for Johnson (57); Patrick McGrath for Thornton (59). 

BALLYMAHON: Keith Manley; Darragh Finlass, Ros Claffey, James Kenny; Matthew Daly, Kevin Diffley, Mark McCormack; Shane Bawle, John Nevin; Thomas Mulvihill, Eddie Noonan (0-1), Danny Ryan (0-1); Harvey Townsend, Trevor Smullen (0-1), Jack Walshe (0-3, frees). Subs:- Joe Nevin for S Bawle (37), Shane Quinn for T Smullen (37), Declan McGuinness for M Daly (37), Charlie Byrne for D Ryan (56); Shane Bawle for J Kenny (61). 

Referee: Patrick Coyle (Meath).