Strong second half sees Knockmealdown Gaels crowned South Tipperary U21B football champions

South Tipperary Under 21 B Football Championship Final

KNOCKMEALDOWN GAELS 1-11 BALLINGARRY 0-5

Knockmealdown Gaels comfortably captured the 2022 South Tipperary Under 21 B Football Championship with a nine points win over Ballingarry at Monroe on Sunday morning.

After a fairly even opening half, the combination side from the south west of the division, comprising three clubs, Fr Sheehy’s, Ballyporeen and Ballylooby/Castlegrace, dominated the scoreboard in the second half to emerge as deserving winners in the end.

In a well contested opening period the sides were level on three occasions, at the end of which Knockmealdown Gaels led at the break by 0-6 to 0-5 having played into a strong wind. The strength of that breeze became more apparent after the break, with Knockmealdown Gaels holding their opponents scoreless for the entire half. By the three quarter stage ‘The Gaels’ had stretched their advantage to four points before the game’s only goal arrived to finally kill off the Ballingarry challenge.

That 47th minute goal came from a move down the right side of the pitch with Cormac Flynn playing in a low ball in from the side, Paul Murphy gathered inside and intelligently laid off to the in-rushing Zack Keating who finished powerfully to the back of the net. Seven points down and facing the elements, there was to be no comeback for the Slieveardagh side.

Having overcome Clonmel Óg in the quarter-final and Killenaule in the semi-final, the combination side arrived at the Moyle Rovers ground full of confidence and they were quickly into their stride going 0-3 to 0-0 up, into the wind, inside the first eight minutes. All three of those scores came from full-forward Darragh Brennan.

Inside a minute, after the referee spotted an inside infringement and moved a free much closer to the posts, Brennan opened the scoring. Three minutes in, the same player played a quick one-two from another free before sending his returned effort over via the top of the crossbar. And his third point came at the conclusion of a passing movement with team mates Cathal English, Rob Maher and Alex Spens involved in the build-up, Brennan once again raising the white flag with his finish.

During that early spell Ballingarry hardly got beyond the halfway line and it looked that it might be a long day ahead for them. However, they soon settled themselves with a pair of well-taken frees by Declan Hayes, won by the efforts of Stephen Donovan and Thomas Walton, to leave themselves just a point down after 12 minutes of play.

Ballingarry’s first - and, as it turned out to be, only - point from play came in the 18th minute, again from Declan Hayes, to tie up the game. A minute later, with a superb free from 45 minutes out, Hayes put his side ahead for the first, and only time, at 0-4 to 0-3.

Thirteen minutes on from their previous score, Knockmealdown Gaels’ captain Christy English levelled matters for the second time with a free in the 21st minute, before Charlie English pointed from play from the restart to edge the combo team back in front.

A key moment in the game soon followed. A fine flowing Ballingarry move worked the ball through the Knockmealdown Gaels’ defence, Stephen Donovan and Thomas Walton combining to set up Declan Hayes who was very unlucky to see his rocket rebound off the upright with the Gaels keeper anchored. Had they raised a green flag at that stage who knows what might have happened had Ballingarry gone to the break ahead.

Declan Hayes partly made up for that disappointment in the 29th minute when pointing a free he won himself to make it 0-5 apiece, before his opposite number Darragh Brennan nullified it almost on the stroke of half-time, with a free won by Ger Ryan’s determined efforts.

The competitiveness of the opening 30 minutes wasn’t to be repeated after the break - Ballingarry failing to score as Knockmealdown Gaels slowly worked the scoreboard up.

Within a minute of the resumption Christy English tagged on a free for a two points advantage. And if matters weren’t already difficult enough for a chasing Ballingarry outfit, they were temporarily reduced to 14 men six minutes in when Ben Ruttle was black carded for a late challenge on Christy English.

But credit to Ballingarry they were battling ferociously in defence and it took Knockmealdown Gaels until the 43rd minute to stretch their lead to three, Christy English pointing after namesakes Cathal and Charlie made the opening for him.

Another late tackle on Christy English saw non-nonsene referee Tadgh Lonergan award a free from where the ball landed and Darragh Brennan pointed the close-in effort for a 0-9 to 0-5 advantage for ‘The Gael’s’ by the 46th minute.

Zack Keating’s well-finished goal arrived a minute later to nail the Ballingarry coffin down, with late points following from Cathal English and another superb 50 metre free from Charlie English to wrap up the scoring at 1-11 to 0-5.

All told, for the time of year, the elements and the higher than normal grass which made it even harder work, both sides put on a decent game of football.

The winners seemed to have that little bit more football in them and they needed it after Ballingarry tested them particularly in the first half.

In the back lines Dylan Morrissey, Dean Finn, Christopher O’Donnell did well, the midfield duo of Cormac Flynn and Cian O’Brien got through loads of work while up front there were impressive performances from the all-English half-forward line of Cathal, Christy and Charlie, Darragh Brennan who ended the game with five points, while Zack Keating will have fond memories of his well-executed goal.

Along the way to the final Ballingarry overcame St Patrick’s and then Fethard, and gave a good account of themselves in the decider. Conor Vaughan had a busy day at the edge of the square and centre back Michael Ryan had a fine tussle with Christy English over the hour. Simon Blackmore, Stephen Donovan, Sean Ryan and Declan Hayes had their moments too. But at times they were guilty of overplaying when in threatening attacking situations, and also they might have been a lot closer had they availed of more of their free-taking opportunities.

Knockmealdown Gaels: 

Evan Hickey, Dylan Morrissey, Rob Maher, Darragh Maher, Alex Spens, Dean Finn, Christopher O’Donnell, Cormac Flynn, Cian O’Brien, Cathal English (0-1), Christy English (captain, 0-4, 0-3F), Charlie English (0-1), Zack Keating (1-0), Darragh Brennan (0-5, 0-3F), Paul Murphy.

Subs: ?? for Darragh Maher (49th minute); Jack O’Shea for Murphy (55); John English for C. English (56); Conor Flynn for Keating (60).

Ballingarry:

Robert Pollard, Niall Fitzgerald, Conor Vaughan, Mikie McGrath, Aidan Ryan, Michael Ryan, Billy McGrath, Eamon Corcoran (captain), Thomas Walton, Simon Blackmore, Ger Ryan, Ben Ruttle, Stephen Donovan, Declan Hayes (0-5, 0-4F), Sean Ryan.

Subs: Kieran Lyons for S. Ryan (HT); Lee Cleere for Fitzgerald (HT); Anthony Ryan for Blackmore (53); Shane Burns for Ruttle (53); Diarmuid Ryan for Vaughan (55).

Referee: Tadgh Lonergan (Kilsheelan/Kilcash).