Templenoe 0-09, Ballymacelligott 3-09.
Templenoe will remain in Division 2 of the County Senior Football League for 2022, after losing out to Ballymac by 3 goals on Sunday. In the process, Ballymac have also gained the automatic promotion spot to Division 1, as they had already seen off Gneeveguilla in the previous round, so they top the table on the head to head rule.
Conditions were ideal and the game was nicely attended, with both sides vying to make the step up to top flight. However, the first quarter failed to really ignite with both sides squandering chances and coughing up possession on countless occasions. Aidan Breen opened the scoring from a free for the visitors, but Templenoe hit back with 2 points in a row from Josh Crowley Holland and Brian Crowley. The former also went close with a goal chance, only to see his effort cleared off the line. Then 13 minutes in, Ballymac centre half back Dan O’Shea make a great run up the field evading the tackles of the Templenoe defenders, to fire the ball to the net for their first goal. This put the visitor 0-02 to 1-01 ahead at the water break.
Templenoe who were forced line without the services of their sharpshooter Stephen O’Sullivan, did enjoy a purple patch early in the second quarter, which begun with Teddy Doyle nailing a placed ball from a difficult angle to bring back the deficit to one point. Then the hosts followed this up with a brace of points from Sean Sheehan and Danny Cahalane to put them in front for the second time. But this was as good as it would get for Templenoe, who were not helped by loss of their other marksman Brian Crowley to injury in this period. Soon after Ballymac upped their game and hit 1-02 in quick succession to turn this contest in their favour, with Vinny Horan showing his class to score 1-01, while his partner in crime Daire Keane popped over the other score. Templenoe centre half back John Spillane then showed good determination to split the posts with a long range attempt just before the interval.
Half Time Score: Templenoe 0-06, Ballymacelligott 2-03.
Buoyed by their lead and the prospect of automatic promotion, Ballymac pushed on and had the next three scores on the trot from Daire Keane, Aidan Breen (f) and Vinny Horan. Templenoe on the other-hand were just having one of those days in front of goal with the excellent Ballymac net minder Brian Lonergan denying 2 strikes from Templenoe substitute Daniel Crowley and then at the very finish of the match he also did brilliant to keep out a Teddy Doyle penalty, after Sean Sheehan was fouled.
Shortly before the second half water break, a high ball in towards the Templenoe goal was finished to the net by Mike Herlihy and despite protests that he may have been in the square, the goal stood following a consultation between the referee and umpire. Daire Keane then added another point to this tally to put the visitors in a very commanding position at the end of the third quarter to lead by 0-06, 3-07.
To their credit Templenoe fought to the end and did tag on three more points before the final whistle with Danny Cahalane, Teddy Doyle and John Rice all finding the range. But the day belonged to the St Kieran’s outfit, who closed out the game with 2 more Vinny Horan points and the final whistle was greeted with joy by their players and travelling supporters alike
Final Score: Templenoe 0-09, Ballymacelligott 3-09.
Congratulations to Ballymacelligott.
For Templenoe attention will now turn towards the club championship in a few weeks time.
Scorers:
Templenoe: Teddy Doyle 0-02 (0-01f), Danny Cahalane 0-02, Josh Crowley Holland 0-01, Brian Crowley 0-01, Sean Sheehan 0-01, John Spillane 0-01, John Rice 0-01.
Ballymacelligott: Vinny Horan 1-04, Daire Keane 0-03, Dan O’Shea 1-00, Mike Herlihy 1-00, Aidan Breen 0-02 (0-02f).
Teams:
Templenoe: Mark Looney, Tom Spillane, Kieran O’Neill, Kieran McCarthy, Mark Casey, John Spillane, John Rice, Josh Crowley Holland, Colin Crowley, Teddy Doyle, Danny Cahalane, Martin Reilly, John Moriarty, Sean Sheehan, Brian Crowley.
Subs: Cian Hallissey, Daniel Crowley, Joseph Sheehan, Hugh Granville, Dan O’Connor.
Ballymacelligott: Brian Lonergan, Mike Sweeney, Michael Reidy, Con Reynolds, Josh O’Keeffe, Dan O’Shea, Darragh Sweeney, Aidan Breen, Darragh Broderick, Luke Sweeney, Darragh O’Regan, Mike Herlihy, Mike Hoare, Vinny Horan, Daire Keane.
Subs: Tomas O’Connor, Adam Kelly, Adam Sheehy, Genie Griffin.
