Goals ensure Ballinakill retain a fighting chance of qualification while relegation threatens Ballyfin

Ballinakill 2-20 

Ballyfin 0-21 

 BALLINAKILL remain with a fighting chance of qualification to the knockout phase of the Laois Shopping Centre SHC after a five-point victory over Ballyfin in the first of Saturday’s double header in Laois Hire O'Moore Park.

Despite performing well so far in this year's championship Ballinakill came into this game at the bottom of their group with zero points but this win puts them back in contention as they can still qualify if the overcome The Harps in Round 5 and results go their way.

This was certainly Ballyfin's best performance of the championship however and they kept Ballinakill under pressure right down to the wire, with the sides level at half time after Ballyfin had the wind and made good use of it by scoring 14 points in the half.

Despite the good showing a fourth loss in succession has all but guaranteed that Ballyfin will be facing into a relegation playoff against the bottom placed finishers in the other group.

A couple of goals from Ballinakill were important to keep them level at the break and in the second half with the wind advantage now in their favour they were able to add points to their first half tally which saw them pull away to a decent win.

Ballyfin had a good breeze behind them as they hurled into the Abbeyleix End and they got off to a good start with a point from Allan Connolly followed with one from player manager Eanna Lyons, both from inside their own half.

Ballinakill hit four wides before eventually registering a score through captain Seamus Fitzpatrick and Eddie Dwyer soon followed with a leveller.

Eamon Duff nudged Ballyfin back into the lead with a point before Ballinakill hit them with a big blow when Eddie Dwyer fired the ball up to Fitzpatrick on the edge of the square and he took his goal excellently.

Just five minutes later Ballinakill were in for another goal, this time Dwyer raised the green flag when his first attempt went awry but he was on hand to finish the rebound from a Ryan Quinlan shot.

Ballyfin remained undeterred however and got themselves back to level pegging with a brace of scores from Ronan Carroll, one from play by Ciaran Quinn, a long range free from Lyons and an excellent strike from play by Shane Connolly.

The sides went tit for tat over the proceeding minutes with Connolly hitting a pair of frees along with another brilliant score from out the field by Lyons while Gearoid Lynch and Fitzpatrick (2) kept Ballinakill on their tails.

Ian Shanahan and Chris Dunne then traded two dramatically different scores before Ballinakill took a two point lead thanks to scores from Fitzpatrick and Brian Duggan approaching the final two minutes of the half.

Ballyfin continued to dig deep however and split the posts with frees late on, one each for Lyons and Connolly to make it 0-14 to 2-8 at half time.

Ballinakill raced into a three point lead early in the second half with a free from Duggan to open the scoring and two fine efforts from out the field by Gearoid Lynch and Ethan Drury.

David Connolly got one back for Ballyfin from the left wing but now with the wind behind them Ballinakill were looking a touch more ruthless in attack, striking the net three in a row with a pair of points from Duggan and an excellent second strike from Shanahan on the run.

Five points split the teams midway through the half though Ballyfin got a couple back thanks to Connolly's frees, but Duggan hit one from play in between to keep Ballinakill in a strong lead.

He was on hand to increase the gap even further, notching the next three scores in succession with two coming from play with impressive attempts either side of a free, making it a seven point split with ten minutes left.

Connolly hit back with one for Ballyfin before sub Conor McDonagh replied with his first touch for Ballinakill with a nice effort from midfield.

Ronan Carroll doubled his tally with a quick brace from play and Connolly added another late on before the final score of the game came from a Cha Dwyer free when he attempted to work on the Ballinakill score difference with an effort at goal but it was deflected over the bar and Ballinakill won out by five.

SCORERS:

Ballinakill: Brian Duggan 0-7 (0-5fs), Seamus Fitzpatrick 1-4, Eddie Dwyer 1-1, Gearoid Lynch 0-2, Ian Shanahan 0-2, Ethan Drury, Jamie Drury, Conor McDonagh and Cha Dwyer (f) 0-1 each.

Ballyfin: Shane Connolly 0-8 (0-6fs), Eanna Lyons 0-4 (0-2fs), Ronan Carroll 0-4, Eamon Duff, Ciaran Quinn, Allan Connolly, David Connolly and Chris Dunne 0-1 each.

BALLINAKILL: Paul Simms; Cathal O'Shaughnessy, Ian Shanahan, Lir McDonald; Andrew McDonagh, Cha Dwyer, Noel Duggan; Dylan Doyle, Gearoid Lynch; Dan Bergin, Brian Duggan, Ethan Drury; Ryan Quinlan, Eddie Dwyer, Seamus Fitzpatrick.

Subs: Jamie Drury for N Duggan (40m), Ben O'Mara for Quinlan (40m), Conor McDonagh for Doyle (55m), Dylan Byrne Gray for E Dwyer (62m).

BALLYFIN: Eoin Connolly; Sean O'Neill, Sean O'Neill, Cillian Rowney; David Connolly, Allan Connolly, Conall Rowney; Darragh Connolly, Ciaran Quinn; Eamon Duff, Eanna Lyons, Gareth Dunphy; Ronan Carroll, Shane Connolly, Chris Dunne.

Subs: Gary Hofmeister for Dunne (ht), Shane Conroy for O'Neill (ht), Jack Heffernan for Quinn (44m).

Referee: Brian Farrell (The Harps)