Ballina make heavy weather of maintaining winning run
Ballina’s Billy Ruane is surrounded by Ballinasloe players during the Bank of Ireland Connacht J1A League clash at Heffernan Park last Saturday night. Pictures: David Farrell Photography
As the wind and rain battered Heffernan Park and the entire county, Ballina and Ballinasloe engaged in a different battle altogether as a high-scoring affair last Saturday evening went the way of the home side to keep their 100% winning record in this season’s Connacht J1A League intact – not that they made life easy for themselves. Ballina’s discipline was a constant issue all evening, with two yellow cards picked up and the concession of needless penalties.
But their threat going forward cancelled out many of the negatives. Ballina scored six tries on the evening, with Daniel Feeney deservedly picking up man of the match for his hat-trick, while Liam Jones, Dylan Rice, Conor Connolly and Cian Anderson were other standout performers on the evening for the home side.
Ballina got off to a great start when Luke Sweeney crossed the try line with only four minutes played after great work in the build-up from Calum Quinn, Thomas Hannigan, Cian Anderson and Liam Jones.
Daniel Feeney then got the first of his collection on 15 minutes. From a Ballina scrum, the ball was worked left to Calum Quinn, who made a great run before he was stopped by the Ballinasloe defence. Cian Quinn would keep the ball alive for Ballina however, and Feeney did the rest for the host side’s second try, which would be successfully converted by Anderson after his miss from Luke Sweeney’s try.
Feeney repeated the trick two minutes later as Liam Jones’ diagonal run saw him break through the Ballinasloe backline, and Feeney picked up his second try of the match, which again was converted by Anderson.
But Anderson was about to have a role in Ballinasloe’s first try of the evening. Moments after the restart, heavy pressure by Shane Fitzpatrick saw him block down Anderson’s kick inside the Ballina 22 and Fitzpatrick ran through and made it to the line, as Aaron McGreal converted for 19-7 midway through the first-half.
Ballinasloe’s confidence was growing, while Ballina’s indiscipline was beginning to rear its ugly head. Billy McVann picked up a yellow card and was temporarily sent to the sidelines, and the visitors hit a purple patch. From a lineout, Ballinasloe won possession and pushed forward, with Jack Codrye getting his side’s second try. On the stroke of half-time, Stephen Grenham kicked a quick forward ball over the Ballina defence and Seamus Egan beat Billy Ruane to it past the Ballina try line. Both tries were converted by McGreal and put Ballinasloe 21-19 up at half-time.
Dylan Rice, who would have a big second-half for Ballina, turned provider for Craig McCormick to cross the try line, and the conversion was supplied by Conor Connolly, to put Ballina back in front.
Connolly soon followed with a penalty to stretch their lead to eight, but Ballina continued to be their own worst enemies, as Alan Duffy was their second player to be yellow carded for indiscipline.
Andrew Mannion left three points between them with Ballinasloe’s fourth try on 62 minutes, but Ballina made sure of the win and a bonus point late on when Billy Ruane’s clever ball forward picked out Dylan Rice for a try, before Feeney completed his hat-trick in the final moments of the game.
Ballina: Billy Ruane, Liam Jones, Calum Quinn, Daniel Feeney, Cian Quinn, Cian Anderson, Ben Matheson, Luke Sweeney; Danny Donegan, Jack Murphy, Sean O’Connell, Gerard McKenna, Thomas Hannigan, Billy McVann, Dylan Rice. Replacements: Gary Kavanagh, Alan Duffy, Jason Duggan, Michael Collins, Craig McCormick, Conor Connolly.
Ballinasloe: Andrew Mannion, Sean Power, Conor Goode, Kyle Blackweir, Shane Fitzpatrick, Adam McGreal, Aaron McGreal, Stephen Grenham; Luke Feehily, Jamie Curley, Keith Gorman, Brian Feeney, Jack Codrye, Micheal O’Neill, Seamus Egan. Replacements: Matthew Kelly, Conor Smyth, Patrick, Cormac Finn, Conor Harewood, Shane McDermott.
REF: Eoin Staunton
