Dead-eye Duffy secures share of the spoils for Ballinrobe in Parke

INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GROUP 3

Parke 1-12

Ballinrobe 0-15

PARKE

A stunning display from Ewan Duffy helped Ballinrobe to a share of the spoils in Parke on Saturday evening. The centre-half-forward kicked eleven points, but it was his equaliser from a '45 in the dying seconds which garnered most attention. The 65th minute kick was a serious gut-tester, but he drove it straight between the sticks to cap a brave comeback by the guests.

There had been little between the sides for long periods of the game before a goal from Sean Sweeney early in the final quarter pushed Fintan McHale's home team into a 1-10 to 0-10 lead. 

It seemed as if that might be the decisive score but Ballinrobe refused to be beaten and stayed in the game. Eoin Gilraine, Diarmuid Duffy, Aaron McDonnell and the excellent Liam Burke caught the eye for Peter Ford's Ballinrobe men but Ewan Duffy was the star attraction. Over the course of the game, he converted nine frees, one point from play and the last-gasp '45.

Parke had many fine performers in their own right. Colm Lynch at wing-back, Cathal Keaveney at centre-half-forward, Jack McLoughlin, Dara Neary and Ronan Carolan around the middle alongside veteran Simon Cloherty were all to the fore for the home side. 

Parke were two points up in the closing minutes, 1-12 to 0-13, but Ewan Duffy held his nerve to guide over two late points to balance the scores at the end of a thrilling encounter in front of a big crowd.

A full report and after-match reaction will be carried in Tuesday's Mayo News