Ravenhill turns on the style as Ballinamere make hard work of getting crucial win

BALLINAMERE danced with calamity before finishing powerfully to get a crucial win in the Senior Hurling Championship at Banagher on Sunday evening.

Molloy Environmental Systems Senior Hurling Championship Group 1 Round 2

Ballinamere 1-22

Belmont 0-19

With three points on the board from their first two games, Ballinamere are motoring nicely but they were very close to being the architects of their own downfall here.

1-10 to 0-11 up at half time after playing against a strong wind, it was Ballinamere's to lose and there were times in the second half when they seemed to be doing their utmost to do this. They had an inexcusable fourteen wides in the second half, many of them from scoreable positions and this kept Belmont in it a lot longer than they should have been.

The fact that some of those wides came from marquee players such as Dan Bourke, Brian Duignan and Dan Ravenhill shows how big of an ordeal that scoring was with the wind on their back. Other players also contributed to the wide tally and some of them were in the “they had to be seen to be believed category”.

It would have been an absolute disaster for Ballinamere if they had contrived to lose a game where they were the better team and their six point winning margin was a fair reflection of the difference between them. The wind was swirling and was obviously difficult to play with as there were 24 wides in that goal in all with Belmont hitting ten in the first half.

They had reason to be grateful to Dan Ravenhill, who had a sensational second half, firing over seven super points, many of them from out around the half way line and close to the wing. Ravenhill showed his class in that second half and without him igniting to such an extent, Ballinamere would have been in bother.

It is one of their great strengths, however, that they have a few players who can exert such a profound influence on a game. Brian Duignan was very efficient in what he did in the first half, scoring an excellent goal and while his influence dwindled in the second half, he kept working and trying to do the right thing. Dan Bourke had another quiet game by his high standards and has not come down fully from the high of helping inspire Offaly to All-Ireland U20 title but he was another who kept working when things weren't going his way and the day is coming when he will click into top gear.

It was an important result for Ballinamere and puts them firmly on course for a knockout place. They had to show character to power home later on but Belmont were not far away from winning against the head. Mark Troy denied them goals with a couple of very solid saves in the second half while Adam Egan was desperately unlucky to see his pile driver rebound off the cross bar in the 49^th minute.

Belmont were trailing by 1-16 to 0-16 at that stage, fighting for everything with great heart and an equalising goal could very well have propelled them to a great win. As it was, Adam Egan and Colin Egan got the next two points to bring the gap back to a point, 0-18 to 1-16 with eight minutes left. Ballinamere were like a car with two thirds of its engine hanging over a cliff edge, in real peril of toppling over.

They also looked to be out on their feet but it was Belmont who ran out of steam late on. Impressive sub Ronan Cleary settled Ballinamere with the first of his two points in the 57^th minute and suddenly the winners got their confidence back. Dan Ravenhill put them three clear with what was arguably his best point – striking it over on the fly at the second attempt from a few metres out. He added a brilliant point in the 60^th minute and with a four point gap, Belmont were a beaten docket.

Ravenhill and the very impressive Sam Bourke added two quick fire points in that 60^th minute to put six in it, meaning that another poor run of wides from James Scully (2) and Joe Maher and a mishit Brian Duignan free were not damaging.

Ronan Cleary got his second point and Adam Egan's closing point for Belmont will only matter if scoring difference comes into play. And as it is, Belmont are in serious bother after suffering a shock loss to Kinnitty in the first round. They looked in great fettle when beating Birr well in the Division 1 Hurling League final but have not carried that form into championship and now face Birr in a mouthwatering renewal.

Belmont played some very good hurling here but a half time deficit was disastrous with the wind while they stayed in contention into the closing minutes thanks to a mixture of their own heart and Ballinamere's flaws. Ballinamere did get 1-16 to 0-14 up after 44 minutes but their wides meant they didn't get away while their error count also crept worryingly high, especially at the back where their short passing was not always clinical and sometimes led them into bother.

Belmont had first use of that strong wind and were in a difficult position when they went in trailing by 1-10 to 0-11 at half time.

That was their own fault as they had ten wides, three of them from scoreable frees that Adam Egan (2) and goalie Damien Egan sent wide.

On the plus side, Belmont's first eight points all came from different players. That list included Damien Egan whose huge punt bounced over the bar with the wind on his back – Ballinamere conceded the puckouts in the first half a good few times and it allowed Egan to launch a couple of huge shots forward.

Cathal Flynn was the first player to score two points and that was almost a goal in the 23^rd minute as he pulled hard on another long Egan clearance and it just flew over the bar. That left Belmont trailing by 0-9 to 1-9 with the all important score being Ballinamere's seventh minute goal – that was an excellent strike from Brian Duignan, who raced onto Dan Ravenhill's handpass, cut in from the right and finished very well to the net.

Ballinamere were very sharp and efficient in the first half, defending well and taking most of their chances. They had just three first half wides and almost got a second goal in injury time with John Murphy blasting over from six metres after gathering Dan Bourke's sideline.

A two point lead had them in a strong position at half time but they still had to go and win the game from there, something they just about managed to do.

MATCH ANALYIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Dan Ravenhill (Ballinamere): Dan Ravenhill has to get the nod for that second half tour-de-force. His striking was superb and a seven point haul was a huge return – he also had a couple of wides and was blocked down a couple of times, which is a serious amount of shots.

Ciaran Burke had a great battle with Oisin Kelly and kept him scoreless from play, though Kelly almost got in for a couple of goals, slipping with one and drawing a good save from Mark Troy with the other. Ross Ravenhill, Jack Fogarty and Sam Bourke formed an excellent half back line and on a different day, any of them could have been man of the match – Bourke got three points and distributed cleverly.

Colin Egan was a very close contender for Belmont. Now in the winter of his career, he led by example, scoring four super points and driving his side relentlessly. His loss to injury in the 55^th minute was a definite nail in Belmont's coffin. James Nally in a defensive type role, Leon Fox, David Kelly, Jack Clancy, Adam Egan and Cathal Flynn also impressed for Belmont.

THE SCORERS

Ballinamere: Dan Ravenhill 0-7, Brian Duignan 1-4 (3f), Sam Bourke 0-3, Aaron Maher, John Murphy, Ronan Cleary 0-2 each, Dan Bourke and Joe Maher 0-1 each.

Belmont: Adam Egan 0-6 (4f), Colin Egan 0-4, Leon Fox and Cathal Flynn 0-2 each, Damien Egan, David Kelly, Jack Clancy, Oisin Kelly (sideline), James Nally 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

BALLINAMERE: Mark Troy; Chris McDonald, Ciaran Burke, Eoin Boland; Ross Ravenhill, Jack Fogarty, Sam Bourke;Darragh Wyer, David Magner; Dan Bourke, Brian Duignan, Aaron Maher; John Murphy, Joe Maher, Dan Ravenhill Subs – Ronan Cleary for Wyer (39m), Barry Cleary for Boland (55m), James Scully for Murphy (56m), Mike O'Brien for Joe Maher (63m),

BELMONT: Damien Egan; Patrick Taaffe, Ciaran Cahill, Jack Egan; Conor Butler, Mark Egan, Leon Fox; Jack Clancy, David Kelly; Colin Egan, Adam Egan, Cathal Flynn; Darragh Flynn, Oisin Kelly, James Nally. Subs –Shane Nally for Colin Egan, inj. (55m),

Referee – Brian Gavin (Clara).

REFEREE WATCH

Brian Gavin remains one of the best hurling referees in the county and he knows the game inside out. There were a few times in both halves when he seemed a bit hard on Ballinamere, not giving what looked to be fouls, but there were no big flash points and he did well.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

A huge moment came when Adam Fox hit the crossbar in the 49^th minute. A goal would have levelled it up and you just would not know what would have happened at that stage. It would certainly have asked very serious questions of Ballinamere.

VENUE WATCH

The Banagher pitch was in great condition and the St Rynagh's club hosted the fixture very well. A large crowd created a great atmosphere.

WHAT'S NEXT

Ballinamere play Shinrone in round 3 and Belmont meet Birr.

STATISTICS

Wides: Ballinamere – 17 (3 in first half); Belmont - 14 (10 in first half).

Yellow cards: Ballinamere – 3 (Dan Bourke, Ciaran Burke, Ross Ravenhill); Belmont – 1 (Colin Egan).

Red cards: 0.