Honours even as things tighten near the bottom
Ewan Duffy scored a goal and a pair of two-pointers in Ballinrobe's draw at home to Charlestown.
Ballinrobe and Charlestown Sarsfields remain in a battle for Division 2 survival after a share of the spoils last Saturday evening.
Both teams will see this as an opportunity missed. The draw, coupled with a big win for Moy Davitts on the road against Hollymount-Carramore, means only two points now separate the bottom five. Ballinrobe, Charlestown and Davitts are all on five points, Moy Davitts a point behind and Hollymount-Carramore are at the foot of the table on three points.
Without county man Diarmuid Duffy, his younger brother Ewan stepped up to the plate, and he got the first goal of the game on two minutes. Charlestown got up and running inside the opening minute with a well-taken point by Paddy Dunleavy, but an element of fortune fell for the Robesiders’ opening major. Conor O’Brien played a quick pass to Duffy and his shot rocketed off the crossbar and high into the air. Charlestown goalkeeper Kenneth Brennan failed to deal with the ball as it arrived down, and Duffy took full advantage to tap it home.
Charlestown sent their next two efforts wide of the post, which would prove to be a major issue late on as they missed the accuracy of Paul Towey, but they would register three of the next four points through Colm Maye, a free, and two singles from Ben Crean to go level on 11 minutes.
A minute later, Ballinrobe found the net again as Kevin Quinn, who had got his first score from a free moments before, was picked out by Ryan Corcoran and the former Mayo forward struck hard and low into the bottom corner.
Cian O’Connell and another Quinn free saw the home side move five clear, but the East Mayo men would find the net twice in the space of three minutes to go in front for the first time since the opening score. Following the restart after a Niall Towey point, Luke Jennings got his kickout wrong and Charlestown broke quickly, with Ben Crean teeing up Matthew Lenehan to fire home. Three minutes later, a great run by Towey saw him lay it off to Alan Woods, and the corner-back fired home from close range to put them ahead, In that period, Ballinrobe were wasteful and while a wonderful Ewan Duffy two-pointer levelled it, Thomas Holton’s point meant Charlestown led by the narrowest of margins at the break, 2-6 to 2-5.
There were only two scores in the opening ten minutes of the second-half, as Cian O’Connell’s point to draw Ballinrobe level once more was countered by Holton on 36 minutes.
The weather took a turn for the worse at this stage, with the rain falling across Flanagan Park. Substitute Paddy Goldrick doubled Charlestown’s lead only for a second Ewan Duffy two-pointer to level matters for the fifth time.
Ballinrobe would go thirteen minutes without a score at this point, but Charlestown could only muster another two points, both from Matthew Lenehan, and his second point on 47 minutes would be their last of the evening as they kicked five wides in the final quarter.
While Charlestown were missing chances, Ballinrobe struggled to create any as their final pass let them down time after time. It appeared placed balls would be their only way back and Evan O’Brien sent over a pair late on to leave both teams with work done as the business end of the league fast approaches.
Scorers – Ballinrobe: Ewan Duffy 1-2-0, Kevin Quinn 1-0-2 (2f), Cian O’Connell and Evan O’Brien (2f) 0-0-2 each.
Charlestown Sarsfields: Matthew Lenehan 1-0-2, Alan Woods 1-0-0, Ben Crean and Thomas Holton 0-0-2 each, Paddy Dunleavy, Colm Maye (f), Niall Towey and Paddy Goldrick 0-0-1 each.
Ballinrobe: Luke Jennings; Sean Flannery, Aaron McDonnell, Caoimhín Donnelly; John Enda Flannelly, Barry Langan, Conor Jennings; Evan O’Brien, James Murphy; Ryan Corcoran, Ewan Duffy, Kevin Quinn; Owen Corcoran, Conor O’Brien, Cian O’Connell. Subs: Gillan Jennings (for O Corcoran 39), Jack Tuffy (for O’Brien 48).
Charlestown Sarsfields: Kenneth Brennan; Alan Woods, Ben Conway, Owen Flannery; Paddy Dunleavy, Tomás Goldrick, Jack Corley; Thomas Holton, Eoin Murphy; Ruairi Cullen, Matthew Lenehan, Niall Towey; Ciaran Honeyman, Ben Crean, Colm Maye. Subs: Paddy Goldrick (for Honeyman ht), Niall Fleming (for Towey 39, inj) Tadhg Horkan (for Flannery 55), Mark Lowther (for Maye 58).
REF: Garryowen McMahon (Davitts)
