A step too far for Ballinagh

FINGAL RAVENS

(DUBLIN) 0-11

BALLINAGH (CAVAN) 0-08

BALLINAGH'S bid to add the All-Ireland Intermediate football championship title to their provincial crown ended at Pairc Tailteann, Navan on Sunday last when they lost to Dublin side Fingal Ravens in the semi-final by 0-11 to 0-8.

For Ballinagh it was just one step too far on the long road that began in the Cavan championship last summer and was carried on through a successful Ulster campaign, marking the first occasion a club from the county in any grade captured a provincial title.  In a game that was always closely-contested with scoring at a premium, Ballinagh met a side who were streetwise at this level.

  Under the coaching skills of former Dublin star Mick Deegan, Fingal Ravens employed the better tactics throughout. While these interruptions didn't endear them to the Ballinagh players and supporters, as they deliberately slowed up the game at times, calling on the trainer for 'doubtful' injuries as well as stopping play for the 'compulsory' drink from the bottle, these stoppages merely wasted a few more seconds, as well as serving to frustrate Ballinagh's style of play during periods when they were about to mount an attack, or when a movement was in train.

  In saying that the Cavan champions overall produced a below-performance. Their disappointment was compounded when they finished the game with fourteen players, following the dismissal of Anthony Gaynor as the game moved into injury time. In the course of the incident an umpire was struck and the culprit was arrested by Gardai at the scene and taken away in handcuffs.

Slow start

  Ballinagh made a slow start to the game and paid the price when the Dublin side took a 0-4 to 0-0 lead by the tenth minute, Ian Kavanagh scoring three points, two from frees with the other point coming from Darren Daly. The Cavan champions looked sluggish at this stage and were battling hard to settle down. Gradually they made an impact with three points in five minutes in the 12th, 13th and 17th minutes from Declan Beard and Colin Gumley frees and Niall McDermott to cut Fingal's lead to one point, 0-4 to 0-3.

  The Cavan champions could well have taken the lead at this stage but three consecutive wides spoiled their chances. Niall Tormey and Declan Beard exchanged points but Fingal held a 0-6 to 0-4 lead at half-time with a Kieran Nortan point.

Goal chance

  As two minutes of addition time were being added at the end of the half, Ballinagh almost got through for a goal when a long ball from Paraic Reilly was fisted wide by Anthony Gaynor.

  Ballinagh were still very much in the game but needed to step up on their first-half performance. There was one change made during the interval when Kevin Smith was brought into the attack for Paul Galligan.

  The early minutes of the second-half produced some exciting passages as the Cavan champions worked hard and were eventually rewarded with points from Colin Gumley and Adrian Maguire to level the scores at 0-6 each after eight minutes.

  This was the opportunity for Ballinagh to go on and take the initiative but they spoiled their hopes with a number of missed chances. Keith Kavanagh restored Fingal's lead in the 42nd minute as Ravens stepped up a gear. Despite a period of sustained pressure by the Dublin side it produced nothing, leaving a gap of twelve minutes before either side scored again. When it did come it fell to the Fingal side with a Kieran Norton point.

  One minute earlier, Gaynor was narrowly wide with a goal chance as the shot skimmed past the right-hand post. The Dublin side forced the pace at this stage and a further point from Gary Brennan increased their lead to three points with five minutes of normal time remaining..

  Second-half Ballinagh sub Kevin Smith ended a long spell for his side without a score when he shot a point with three minutes left to leave a two point gap. As the excitement intensified, Niall Tormey and David Finnegan exchanged points as Ballinagh battled hard for the match-winning goal. Their last score came from David Finnegan in the 63rd minute and despite an effort for goal from Niall McDermott, Gary Brennan made victory secure for the Fingal side with a point in the 65th minute.

Incident

  Then came the incidents with the sending off and the attack on the umpire as the second-half moved into the 40th minute.

  Fingal Ravens manager Mick Deegan said they were aware that it was going to be a tough game, as Ballinagh were a good. footballing side. “Any team that comes out of Ulster has got to be a good side. But we also came through a tough Leinster campaign, and we did a lot of homework on Ballinagh, calling in a few contacts from the North.

  “We were aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and we tried to work on what their weak points were and it paid off.

  “Against the breeze in the first-half we slowed the game down after getting off to a flying start and going four points in front. We controlled the game for the first ten to fifteen minutes and in midfield - which is the engine room of any side and where the ball has to be won -we won that battle in that opening spell”.

  Deegan added; “Ballinagh came back into the game and we conceded a few silly frees which allowed them back in. But I was happy enough going in at half time with a 6-4 lead after playing against the breeze. But just because we had the advantage of the elements in the second-half didn't mean we were going to run away with the game. Ballinagh showed their strengths in holding on to the ball and running at us but we kept a point ahead and the players did what was asked of them, especially in the middle of the field”.

Needed to be sharper – Morris

  Ballinagh team manager Bernard Morris said if they had played Fingal Ravens two weeks after the Ulster final we might have been much more sharper. However he conceded that the best team won on the day. They were more up for the game and sharper to the breaks and also managed to win a number of crucial decisions from the referee.

  “Fingal were aware that Ballinagh played a high tempo game and the tactic of slowing the play down for stoppages for injuries etc affected our play. The fact that they had a four point lead after ten minutes was a big advantage for them as they produced Ulster style tactics by breaking up the play and stifling the football, so much so that as a result the second-half lasted some forty minutes.

Chances squandered

  “We missed a number of goal opportunities and had we converted the late chance from Anthony Gaynor, at a time when we were on top, it might have changed the course of the game. At this level when you get a chance like that you have to take it”.

  As to the sending off, the Ballinagh manager said Anthony Gaynor has a name and has got to live with it. If Padraig Reilly put in the same kind of tackle he would probably have only received a yellow card”.

  However the Ballinagh manager condemned the attack on the umpire “as a disgrace”.

  Fingal Ravens – David Mitchell; Jason Boland, Kieran McGrath, Shane Maxwell; Colm Prendeville, Darren Daly (0-1), Michael White; Keith Kavanagh (0-1), Pauric Brennan; Ian Rooney, Niall Tormey (0-2), Damian Flanagan; Kieran Norton (0-2), Ian Kavanagh (0-3), Stephen Madigan. Subs. Robert Arthurs for Damien Flanagan (49), Gary Brennan (0-2) for Paraic Brennan, injured (50), Ronan Norton for Stephen Madigan (58), Joey Morris for Ian Rooney (61). Daragh Kavanagh for Keith Kavanagh (70).

  Ballinagh –Daragh McCarthy; Killian McBride, Conor Brady, Anthony Duffy; Niall O'Reilly, Pauric O'Reilly, Damien McInerney; Adrian Maguire (0-1), Cian McDermott; Colin Gumley (0-2), Declan Beard (0-2), David Finnegan (0-1); Niall McDermott (0-1), Anthony Gaynor, Paul Galligan. Subs Kevin Smith (0-1) for Paul Galligan (half-time), Terry Smith for Declan Beard (48),

  Referee, Declan Hunt, Roscommon