Junior D Semi-final: Ballinlough come up short (16/8/12)
Longwood booked their place in the Peter Fox Plumbing Junior D Championship final following their four point win over Ballinlough. Despite the torrential rain both teams played some good football in Martry. The Wood will play Meath Hill in the decider.
Longwood……………..4-7 Ballinlough…….………2-9
Both sides were evenly matched in the opening half, Simon Deevy and Daire Farrelly got early points for Ballinlough before Ian Keenan got Longwood's opening score after 6 minutes. The North Meath side were playing the better football and went 0-4 to 0-2 ahead with a couple of Jack Tunney points but Longwood corner foward Gerard Ennis got his first point and the same player was on hand to give Longwood the lead, 1-2 to 0-4, with a well taken goal.
A goal from Kevin Mallon put Ballinlough back into the lead before Ennis supplied Keenan with a pass for Longwood's second goal, further points from the same players were traded with with a Deevy score for Ballinlough which left the sides level at the break; 2-4 to 1-7.
Sean Coloe put Longwood back in the lead with the first point of the second half and then super sub Martin Bermingham got his sides third goal. Ballinlough kept in touch and when Simon Deevey netted their second goal the sides were level again midway through the half; 2-7 to 3-4. But Longwood finished the stronger, with ten minutes left Keenen got his second goal and then Ballinlough had a goal conterversially disallowed for a square ball before a brace of points from Bermingham sealed the issue in The Wood's favour.
Best for the winners were James Colgan, Joe Stenson, Chris Cusack, Owen Weir, Brendan Hanna, Sean Coloe, Ian Keenan, Gerard Ennis and Martin Birmingham.
Ballinlough had good performances from: James Baugh, Conor Briody and Simon Deevy.
Ballinlough: M. Brady, Jonathon O’ Reilly, P. Baugh, J. Farrelly, N. Farrelly, J. Baugh, P. Farrelly, K. Mallen (1-0), Junior O’ Reilly, Jonnie Reilly, C. Briody (0-1), N. Finlay, J. Tunney (0-5, 2f), S. Deevy (1-2, 1f), D. Farrelly (0-1). Subs: S. Smith for D. Farrelly, J. Lydon for Baugh and D. Mc Cartan for Lydon.
Longwood : Jason Delaney, James Colgan, Ken Cleary, Johnny Furey, Joe Stenson, Brendan Hanna, Chris Cusack, Owen Weir, Sean Coloe (0-1), Coran Byrne, Alan Ennis, Ross Ennis, Ian Keenan (2-2), Alan Holton, Gerard Ennis (1-2). Subs: Martin Bermingham (1-2), Mick Healy, Damien Dixon, Darren Fagan.