Extra time heartbreak for Wolfe Tones

AIB Leinster Club Junior Football Championship quarter-final

Wolfe Tones left everything on the field in Tullamore on Saturday afternoon, as they pushed Ballinagar to the limit in a tense Leinster Club Junior Football Championship quarter-final that stretched into extra time.

The Louth side matched their Offaly opponents blow for blow and nearly pulled off a hard-earned upset, but Ballinagar’s narrow edge saw them advance.

The Tones who were bolstered by a determined effort from veterans and young players alike made Ballinagar work for every inch, keeping the game within reach right up to the final minutes of extra time.

Wolfe Tones’ Paddy Fanning led the charge with a crucial goal in the first half, keeping his team in contention throughout.

In the backline, defenders Kevin Brady and Rhys McGovern put in standout performances, repeatedly turning away Ballinagar’s attacks and forcing the game to be decided by the finest of margins.

The Wolfe Tones displayed fierce resolve and kept the crowd guessing, proving they could hold their own against one of Offaly’s rising teams.

It was a tense, tough battle where every ball was hard earned and fiercely fought for. The Offaly intermediate champions were pushed the whole way by the Drogheda outfit but had more to offer in an attacking sense and would have had only themselves to blame if they ended up the wrong side of the result.

While they always looked capable of opening up a decisive gap, they never did so until getting four clear in the second period of extra time and even then, they were quickly pegged back to a goal.

Some outstanding defensive play meant that Wolfe Tones never threatened to get in for a match saving goal late on and Ballinagar managed to hold their heads and secure the win.

Every inch of their fibre was tested here as players cramped up and ran into the red in extra time. This included key players such as Adam Strong and Robbie Gallagher and Ballinagar's depth in strength was tested to the full here.

They started without two established first teamers in Jack Sheil and Ray Daly and while Sheil made an impression as a second half sub, they were big losses.

Eoin McGuinness also showed his worth when introduced but Ballinagar were certainly living on their wits to an extent late on and the team they finished with would struggle to win games but as a unit, every man gave it absolutely everything and there was something very impressive about the way they held their composure and continued trying to hold the ball and do the right thing, when players were cramping up and dropping like flies late on.

Fortunately for Ballinagar, Wolfe Tones were in the very same boat. They had made six changes from the team in the programme and while three of the players named to start came on as subs, they also ran into empty and their energy was clearly drained late on.

One of those replacements, Rory Taaffe did ask new questions of the Ballinagar defence but the visitors just couldn't break them down when it really counted.

This competition may be bonus territory for Ballinagar, who exceeded their season's expectations when capturing intermediate honours but they are relishing it completely, relaxing and clearly enjoying playing new teams at a different level.

It is great for them and two wins has opened up the possibility of further progress in the coming weeks. Robbie Gallagher was sensational in the first half as Ballinagar settled quickly and led by 0-3 to 0-1 after seven minutes.

They coughed up a soft, if good, 10^th minute goal to Paddy Fanning which gave Wolfe Tones a 1-2 to 0-3 lead. Ballinagar's response was picture perfect with Adam Strong driving them relentlessly from midfield and Gallagher continuing to make hay up front.

They got three in a row to lead by 0-6 to 1-2 after 22 minutes. Wolfe Tones centre back Alan Fanning got a black card for the foul on Gallagher that led to Steven Dwane's tap over free for their sixth point and Ballinagar should have got a 24^th minute goal when Morgan Tynan powered through the middle.

Tynan drew a good save from Johnny Lynch, who also smothered the rebound from Steven Dwane who didn't catch it properly.

Garrett Cooney's free levelled it up at 1-3 to 0-6 at the break and Wolfe Tones were the happier at this stage, though Ballinagar were also content in the knowledge that they had the measure of their opponents and the game was there to be won.

Steven Dwane pointed a well won mark in the sixth minute of the second half, followed seconds later by Robbie Gallagher's fourth of the day. A two point lead was a decent advantage in such a tight game but Ballinagar were never comfortable in the remainder of normal time.

Points from Mark Healy and Liam Gaffney got Wolfe Tones back on terms by the 38^th minute. Gallagher got two more top quality points and Adam Strong got an excellent one to give Ballinagar a 0-11 to 1-5 lead with ten minutes left.

They almost threw it away here as their defence began to concede some soft frees and their tackling became ragged throughout the field.

A Rory Taaffe free and Garrett Cooney point brought it back to a point before Morgan Tynan restored a two point lead in the 56^th minute, an excellent kick off his left after great approach play by Geordi O'Meara.

Steven Dwane missed a great chance to leave Wolfe Tones needing a goal – Robbie Gallagher also spurned a late chance and Wolfe Tones forced extra time with points from Taaffe (free) and sub Darren Weldon, 1-9 to 0-12.

Ballinagar won the game in the first period of extra time, scoring three points while keeping Wolfe Tones scoreless.

Jack Gorry got a questionable black card seven minutes into extra time and while this was a blow to Ballinagar, it was not as fatal as it could be with Wolfe Tones also beginning to make an increasing volume of errors and a 0-15 to 1-9 lead was much more significant than a three point one would normally be, at this stage of extra time.

Morgan Tynan could have wrapped it up in the second minute of the second period, opting to fist over instead of going for goal after the Louth defence was spread-eagled.

Still, a four point gap was massive and it meant Wolfe Tones had to get a goal. Instead they only managed two points, a 74^th minute one from Liam Gaffney and a Rory Taaffe free two minutes into injury time.

They had a couple of dreadful wides before Taaffe's score as Ballinagar held on for a memorable win.

Scorers

Ballinagar: Robbie Gallagher 0-7, Morgan Tynan 0-4, Geordi O'Meara (2f) and Steven Dwane (1f and 1 mark) 0-2 each, Adam Strong 0-1.

Wolfe Tones: Paddy Fanning 1-0, Garrett Cooney (2f) and Rory Taaffe (3f) 0-3 each, Liam Gaffney 0-2, Mark Healy, Darren Weldon and Tadgh Rock 0-1 each.

BALLINAGAR: Ryan Kinahan; Declan Crombie, Diarmuid Finneran, Adam Joyce; Jack Gorry, Brian Malone, Aaron Gorman; Adam Strong, Morgan Tynan; Jacob Beatty, Geordi O'Meara, Jamie Ballesty; Conor Bracken, Robbie Gallagher, Steven Dwane.

Subs: Jack Sheil for Beatty (44m), Eoin McGuinness for Ballesty (51m), Conor McGuinness for Bracken (60m), Conor Bracken for Dwane (70m +1), Dean Pierce for Gorry (75m), Shane Finneran for Strong (77m).

WOLFE TONES: Johnny Lynch; Kevin Brady, Rhys McGovern, David Bolger; Tadgh Rock, Alan Fanning, Danny Byrne; Mark Healy, Paddy Fanning; Sam Kelly, Dwayne Leavy, Liam Gaffney; Garrett Cooney, Cailean Floody, Sean McQuail.

Subs: Rory Taaffe for Floody (37m), Dean Haggins for Fanning (47m), Darren Weldon for Byrne (51m), Sean Flanagan for McQuail (55m), Eoin Wynne for Cooney (69m), Jordan Duffy for Leavy (74m), Paddy Fanning for Flanagan (78m).

Referee: Kieran Olwell (Meath).