Laragh edge it against Ballinagh
ACFL Division 1
Laragh Utd 1-21
Ballinagh 3-14
Kevin Óg Carney
Laragh edged out visitors Ballinagh in dramatic style at PJ Duke Park, Stradone last Saturday evening to collect their second win of the current ACFL Division One season.
Ballinagh had looked likely winners of what was an exciting and free-flowing tie having led from the 19th minute to the 52nd minute but Laragh never gave up the ghost.
Kevin Ryan’s 63rd point seemed destined to seal the deal for the Saffrons but Laragh attacker Adrian Cooney had other ideas and his effort seconds later - after terrific work by Ciaran Cooney and Paddy Rudden - had the hosts celebrating at the death.
For a long period of the game, it appeared like Ballinagh’s penchant for goals was going to make the difference. However, when James Tully banged home a long-awaited goal (51) for United, the tide turned and the race for the chequered flag heated up to Cooney’s boiling point moment.
In perfect playing conditions, both teams gave it their all and, in truth, a drawn game might well have been the fairer result but sport seldom serves up sympathy cards and the understrength Laragh men did enough to upholster their league campaign in timely fashion.
Despite the tonnes of scores produced, both teams’ defences were arguably their best sectors and every harvest the attackers on the field reaped was hard earned.
The game turned out to be a proverbial see-saw clash. In the 15th minute a textbook move saw Paul Smith and Paddy Rudden combine to allow Jake Mills to fire Laragh into a 0-6 to 0-3 lead. One minute later though, Ballinagh engineered the first goal chance of the evening but Stephen Cooney did brilliantly to deflect Tristan Graham’s goal effort out for a ‘45 which was subsequently rifled over by Eamon McEvoy.
The visitors again went goal hunting in the 19th minute and duly hit the jackpot with a great pass from Jake Mills finding Niall Fitzpatrick who cleverly chipped the ball into Niall McDermott and in a jiffy the Laragh net was billowing.
Just three minutes later, Tristan Graham netted, palming home an inviting ball across the square by McDermott, to put the visitors 2-4 to 0-6 in front.
Ballinagh seemed to find it easier to break through for scores but Shane Finnegan agonisingly missed out on finding the net after a soccer-like dribble.
Laragh did concede a third goal though two minutes from the end of the first half, courtesy of a McDermott spot-kick after Graham was fouled.
United hinted at their late heroics by getting off the canvas in the dying seconds of the first half and a point from Mills (free) and match-winner Cooney left Laragh trailing by 0-11 to 3-6 at the interval.
Ballinagh worked hard to stay in front but after a classy Paul Smith point (38), Ballinagh ‘keeper Keating did well to keep a clean sheet three minutes later by deflecting Rudden’s rocket over the bar.
Ballinagh kept their noses in front ‘till the 52nd minute when a Paul Smith free levelled matters (1-18 to 3-12) for the first time since the 5th minute and just 90 seconds after a fine James Tully goal had ignited Laragh’s run to the finishing post.
Ballinagh almost goaled for the fourth time in the 54th minute but Seán Tierney was on hand to deny Damien Reilly.
In a tense and frenetic finish, a draw looked an almost sure thing only for added-on time to turn that expectation on its head.
Laragh Utd: Dominic Gillick; Raymond Lackey, Seán Tierney, Stephen Cooney (0-1); Ciaran Cooney (0-1), Jack McGovern, Jamie Cooney; Paul Smith (0-7, 2f), James Tully (1-0); Adrian Cooney (0-2), Rory Fitzsimons (0-2), Jake Mills (0-6, 2f); Paul Cooney, Paddy Rudden (0-1), Niall Fitzpatrick (0-1, f).
Subs; Dara Fitzsimons for Niall Fitzpatrick; Eoin Hanley for Jamie Cooney; Dylan Adams for J McGovern.
Ballinagh: Fionn Keating; Matthew Heaslip, Evan Finnegan, Philip Bogue; Odhrán Keating, Cormac Timoney, Ryan Connolly; Thomas Smith (0-7), Eamon McEvoy; Shane Finnegan (0-1), Kevin Ryan (0-1), Damien Reilly (0-1); Kevin Smith (0-1), Niall McDermott (2-2, 2f), Tristan Graham (1-1).