Ballyfin’s dream season ends in Birr
Cillian Dunne (Clough/Ballacolla) controls this sliotar as Johnnie Bermingham, Castletown Geoghegan gives chase Photo Denis Byrne
THERE vis to be no fairytale end to this season for Ballyfin, a season that saw them reclaim their place in the Laois senior ranks.
They were hoping for a run in Leinster but their season came to an end in St Brendan’s Park in Birr on Saturday despite their bravest efforts. To put it simply, they has no answer to Offaly champions, Lusmagh’s power and skill.
In the end the heavy pitch after a lot of rain saw Ballyfin wilt in the final quarter when their legs began to tire.
And their cause was not helped when they had to take to the pitch without Eanna Lyons Ballyfin played with the aid of the breeze in the opening half but were soon behind but two Gareth Dunphy frees got them off the mark.
Dunphy and Paul Kinsella swapped scores all through the first half while Jack Heffernan and Eamon Duff also pointed for Ballyfin but still they went in at the interval trailing 0-8 to 0-6.
Five points without reply from Aaron Kelly, Darren Healy, Eimhin Kelly, Paul Kinsella (free) and Daire Temple on the restart had them 0-13 to 0-6 ahead 11 minutes into the second half. In all honesty it already looked curtains for Ballyfin, however they never gave up the battle.
Ballyfin suddenly upped their challenge and scored 1-2 without reply. Points from Allan Connolly and Gareth Dunphy (free) sandwiched a 43rd minute goal from Ronan Carroll. Suddenly there was only two points in it.
But that was as good as it would get for Ballyfin. Lusmagh settled their and hit back with points from Andy Flynn, Kinsella (free) and Eoin Quinlan to put them 0-16 to 1-8 ahead with eight minutes left.
Dunphy (free) and Aaron Kelly exchanged late points to leave five in it at the final whistle.
Paul Kinsella 0-7 (fs), Aaron Kelly 0-3, Darren Healy 0-2, Andy Flynn, Eimhin Kelly, Daire Temple, Eoin Quinlan and Graham Lynch 0-1 each.
Gareth Dunphy 0-5 (fs), Ronan Carroll 1-0, Jack Heffernan, Eamon Duff, Shane Connolly, Allan Connolly 0-1 each.
Alan Kelly; Rory Quinlan, Andy Flynn, Ruari Kelly; Lorcan Troy, Eimhin Kelly, Daire Temple; Eibheann Kelly, Graham Lynch; Eoin Quinlan, Darren Healy, James Kelly; Paul Kinsella, Aaron Kelly, Luke Bowe.
David Kelly for J Kelly (50m), Aidan Byrne for Bowe (61m).
Eoin Connolly; Conal Rowney, Sean (B) O'Neill, Sean ( R) O'Neill; James Finn, Dylan Kelly, Max Connolly; Shane Connolly, Darragh Connolly; Jack Heffernan, Gareth Dunphy, Eamon Duff; David Connolly, Allan Connolly, Ciaran Culleton.
Ronan Carroll for Duff (ht), Gary Hoffmesiter for Heffernan (50m), George Lanham for Culleton (58m), Darragh Lyons for Kelly (61m).
Matthew Redmond (Kildare)
