The Mayo News

Trying times for Ballinrobe as Ballina push on up table


DIVISION 1A
Ballinrobe 11
Try: T Watson
Pen: T Nally (2)

Ballina 29
Try: T Tolan (2), C Quinn, M Murphy, N O’Malley
Con: A Moynihan (2)

Rob Murphy
Ballinrobe

BALLINA remain serious contenders for the Connacht Junior League after another routine bonus point victory. this time away to Ballinrobe on Sunday.
Consistency with a ruthless edge has helped them into the top four this year with five wins out of six. And at a dry and mild Racecourse, they hammered home their advantage without really finding their best.
However, Ballinrobe can take plenty of positives from this tussle with one of the province’s leading sides. They have some way to go before they can expect to be beating one of the top four, but survival is their aim this year, and all is not lost in that department just yet.
The half time scoreline of 22-11 didn’t flatter Ballina. They were 7-0 up as early as the first minute with David Newman pouncing on a stray pass and popping to Cormac Quinn, who cantered home for a straightforward score. Andy Moynihan converted.
Ballinrobe responded through Trevor Nally, who nailed a brilliant long-range penalty. But within minutes, their short side defence had been comprehensively exposed with three forwards involved in a brilliant Ballina break.
Richard Kelly made the initial burst, Paul Neary took it on, and with a superb pass found the supporting Tom Tolan for the try in the corner. It wasn’t the first time the Ballina tighthead has shown his fine ability in open play.
The conversion was missed and Ballinrobe briefly narrowed the gap with another long-range penalty from Nally. Almost from the kick-off, however, Ballina’s Michael Murphy sniped  through a gap at the fringe of the breakdown and burst home from 20 metres for an unconverted try. That kind of vision and pace is what makes him such a key player for the men in green.
To crown a fine first-half display Tolan managed a second try five minutes before the interval, this one initiated by David Newman. Ballinrobe had the numbers, but Newman’s side-step unlocked the defence. The supporting Daniel Carribine almost raced home but was stopped short, and it took Tolan to finish for a 22-6 lead.
The final stages of the half had added drama. Ballinrove replacement Trevor Watson had made an impact, and he scored his side’s opening try just before the break off a well-worked lineout move on the short side.
Minutes later, however, Watson received a red card after what appeared to be a case of mistaken identity. A brief brawl had erupted sparked by a moment of headless play from a Ballina forward who lashed out at a Ballinrobe player on the ground.
Both sides were involved, but for the most part it was broken up within seconds, and Watson seemed to be among those trying to restore peace. Yet bizarrely, referee Damian Eames saw fit to reprimand just one player from the home side. That was harsh, and the player singled out really did seem to be an innocent party.
Ballina made a shrewd replacement to calm matters and the game had no further outbursts from either side, and was played in good spirits. After the break, the Robe had the better of the third quarter, but they didn’t register a score, as Ballina’s fine defence repelled a number of powerful attacks on their line.
Ballinrobe’s young pack is making strides. Marcin Mikolajewski at loosehead was up against the league’s leading tighthead and came out of it well. Anthony Coleman and the brilliant Patrick Moylette in the second row also stood out, as did Dave Madden in the centre.
Ballina have plenty in the tank, and with Corinthians and Sligo still to play, they really have a major voice in proceedings at the moment. They’ll feel they let their foot off the gas too early, but even with Aidan McNulty and Willie O’Connor in the sin bin during the second half, they stood tall. Niall O’Malley’s late try was well taken after a fine crossfield kick from Andy Moynihan.

Ballinrobe
P Cosgrove; J Gill, A Golden, D Madden, D Reilly; T Nally, S Rochford; M Mikolajewski, D Burke, B O’Toole; A Coleman, P Moylette; M Joyce, S Kelly, D Costello.
Replacements used: J Walsh, T Watson, C McHugh.

Ballina
R Forbes; N O’Malley, M Clarke, D Newman, C Quinn; A Moynihan, M Murphy; C Melvin, R Kelly, T Tolan; D Carribine, J Cawley; P Neary, S Loftus, A McNulty.
Replacements used: C Rouse, W O’Connor, M Healy.

Referee: D Eames

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