Seneschalstown Clinch Injury Time Victory (29/03/15)
A fisted point in the second minute of injury time clinched victory for Seneschalstown, as Ballinlough were left to rue missed chances on their home turf on Sunday afternoon.
Ballinlough: 1-06 Seneschalstown: 1-07
Peadar Byrne bursts past Niall Groome of Seneschalstown
The home side got off to a flyer, with Sean Geraghty finding the back of the net in the opening minute after great work by Tommy McCullen. A lot of scrappy play by both sides followed, as Seneschalstown failed to make use of the strong breeze in their favour, kicking several wides from good positions.
Brian Sheridan opened the visitors account in the eleventh minute with a well converted free. Two minutes later another Sheridan free reduced the deficit to the minimum. The Reds struggled to maintain possession throughout the opening period, and lost the ball around the middle of the pitch on numerous occasions, allowing Seneschalstown more and more scoring chances.
Sheridan scored a third point, his first from play, from a tight angle in the twentieth minute, before Bryan Clarke edged his side in front for the first time soon after. The ‘Lough had two goal chances go begging before the halftime break, first Sean Geraghty was unlucky to see his low shot just go the wrong side of the post, before a goalmouth scramble somehow didn’t cross the line. The visitors went into the change of ends leading by 0-04 to 1-00.
Ballinlough played with the aid of the wind in the second period, and immediately made it count. Peadar Byrne split the posts in the opening minute after a great run from midfield. The former county star soon doubled his tally, converting a free kick after Sean Geraghty had been fouled.
The ‘Lough were playing with more confidence in the second period, and were causing Seneschalstown serious problems at the back. Colm Mallen tucked a tidy free over the bar, after been fouled himself. Veteran forward Kevin Devine fired over another free moments later to put his side three points to the good.
The introduction of Joe Sheridan reinvigorated the visitors, and mid way through the half Peter Waters found the back of the Ballinlough net with a powerful finish, to level matters again.
Devine recorded another two impressive scores to put his side within touching distance of the victory in the closing minutes, but Clarke responded with a brace of scores for the visitors to put the game on a knife edge as it entered injury time. It was to be Seneschalstown who would get the vital winning score with the last touch of the game.
Ballinlough: K. McGuinness, R. Farrell, M. Geraghty, B. Smith, E. Smith, L. Maguire, J. Reilly, Colm Mallen, M. McCullen, P. Byrne, K. Devine, Cian Mallen, S. Geraghty, T. McCullen, K. Beirne. Subs: J. Tunney for K. Devine, P. Monaghan for K. Beirne.