Making their return to the senior ranks for the first time in over two decades, Ballinameela followed up their 2009 Intermediate Football Championship win up with a brilliant senior return against a fancied Rathgormack side in the second game of Saturday’s double header at Fraher Field.
There can be no disputing that on the night the better side won. From the off Ballinameela signalled their intentions and got their just rewards when Eoghan Walsh blasted to the net after just four minutes for the first score of the game.
Throughout the hour the full forward was a constant thorn in Rathgormack’s side and the fact the Comeragh men retired their full back early tells the amount of pressure he exerted on the defence over the hour.
By the end of the first quarter Ballinameela held a two-point advantage. Eoghan Walsh kicked a point, with Ed Hogan hitting a brace for Rathgormack in reply.
By half-time two points still separated the sides, Walsh’s goal proving to be hugely important. The second quarter saw Eoghan Walsh and Brian Phelan kick points for the winners with Jason Murray and Ronan Cahill responding for the side in green and red.
However, this did not tell the full story of the second quarter as Ballinameela were unlucky not to have gone in even further ahead. Eoghan Walsh and Declan O’Brien combined after 23 minutes to create a two-on-one with Brendan Crotty in the Rathgormack goal but the ’keeper made a brilliant save. Just moments later Ballinameela found themselves through on goal again but Colin Walsh’s effort rebounded off the base of Crotty’s left post.
See The Munster Express newspaper for full match report.
