The Neale bow out to Ballinasloe

The Neale lose little in defeat



Semi-Final
Ballinasloe 2-6
The Neale 0-9

Willie McHugh
Ballinasloe

IT unveiled at a helter-skelter pace with both sides going at it hammer and tongs from the opening curtain. If nothing else the opening minutes left us in no doubt that this Connacht Junior Club Championship semi-final between Ballinasloe and The Neale in Duggan Park last Sunday was going to be a hotly-contested encounter. Two sides with their eye on the prize.
After the initial ‘meet and greet’ and exchanging of pleasantries, it was the hosts who got the best possible start.
Darragh McCormack’s fourth minute shot posed no greater threat than a probable point at best on its approach route towards Keith Hennelly’s goal. But in flight it took the most wicked of dips and spun into the keeper’s net. McCormack wheeled away with the surprised look of a fowler who fired a warning shot at a crow and discovered he had grounded a pheasant in the process.
Kevin Kelly extended their lead with a free and suddenly The Neale were on the back foot. But they regained their composure and got a grip at midfield.
Killian McHugh was driving from deep and they set about carrying the fight to their more illustrious opponents. They opened their account when corner-forward Aidan O’Sullivan hit a lovely point on the run after Pat Casey threaded the ball through. Sean Cosgrove then tacked on a beauty from open play after McHugh did the hod-carrying.  
Cosgrove pointed a free after Casey was hauled down and Niall Walsh was calmness personified when he posting a ’45 and bring the Mayo standard-bearers back on parity.
They took the lead six minutes later. SeΡn Cosgrove was provider this time and O’Sullivan has us chalking it down. The beaver busy ‘Fourth Official’ was calibrating his board to display stoppage time when Ballinasloe turned over a promising ‘Neale attack.
The ball was moved swiftly to Paul Whelehan loitering at the Fairgreen End and he jinked and jived around a few defenders before landing the equaliser right on the tea-break whistle.
The Neale recovered well from their early setback and had the better of the remaining first half exchanges by far. But rushed shooting and poor shot selection betimes denied them a half-time cushion their honest efforts merited.
Right on the restart midfielder Liam Lynch gave the home side the lead. Then The Neale suffered their second and costly setback of the afternoon.
A foul on Darragh McCormack led to a quick free picking out midfielder Luke Tierney who had slipped unnoticed inside The Neale cover and his goal bound shot gave Hennelly no chance. The influential Killian McHugh retired injured at that juncture and, when Whelehan pointed a free, The Neale were staring down the long tunnel again. Through a SeΡn Cosgrove free and a disputed point from O’Sullivan they hauled it back to a goal.
Kevin Kelly went short with a ’45 and nailed the return and Whelehan pointed a free to edge Ballinasloe nearer the gap. But The Neale weren’t for turning that easy and points from substitute Michael Lynagh and Peter Cosgrove had the margin down to three again. But SeΡn Cosgrove’s reputation with late frees must have reached Ballinasloe ears.
The hosts closed out the game hell bent on not conceding a foul and their discipline meant he would be afforded no opportunity of a repeat performance.  Anyway it was Tierney’s goal on the restart that left their tired limbs with too big a hill to climb.

Ballinasloe
N King; S Kelly, D Nevin, E Fenton; M Kelly, K Kelly (0-2 1f), S Kenny; L Tierney (1-0), L Lynch (0-1); D Burke, J Shaughnessy, G Canavan; McCormack (1-0), P Cunningham, P Whelehan (0-3, 2fs).
Subs used: R O’Healy for Nevin; N Hynes for Kenny.

The Neale
K Hennelly; D Morrin, D Hughes, S Morrin; P McGrath, P Cosgrove (0-1), K McHugh; E Hughes, R Holian; S Cosgrove (0-3, 2fs), P Casey, N Walsh (0-1, ‘45); S Conroy, S Ryan, A O’Sullivan (0-3).
Subs used: P Hopkins for McHugh; M Lynagh (0-1) for Ryan.  

Referee P Neilan (Roscommon)