Much needed win in the bag for Balla
The Balla team pictured before their league encounter with Ballintubber. Picture: Tom Quinn
This was far from a classic but it will not matter to the people of Balla one bit. After a rough start to the season, with disappointing losses at the hands of Westport and local derby defeats at the hands of Claremorris and bitter rivals Mayo Gaels, they arrived in Clogher on Saturday evening desperately needing a win.
It was far from pretty and was played in horrible conditions, but a strong second half performance in which they kicked ten points insured the men in maroon returned to Balla with the two points in the bag.
It was truly a game of two halves with a considerable breeze dictating the tempo and mentality of whichever side possessed it. The first half saw Ballintubber playing all the football and were kicking some beautiful scores. Conor and Jamsie Finnerty caught the eye, kicking two each, while Ciaran Gavin kicked two long ranged frees.
Conversely, Balla found it an almighty struggle to get any sort of attacking play going.
They were handed a lifeline when an effort from Cillian Golding dropped well short into the hands of Aaron Walsh on the 13-metre line and he applied a brilliant finish into the back of the net. Conor Walsh added a free two minutes later, but they would be Balla’s only two scores in the thirty minutes. Ballintubber led 0-7 to 1-1 at half-time but inaccuracy in front of goal dearly cost them, as there was a feeling the wind was worth a lot more than just three points on the scoreboard.
Ballintubber were marred by the absences of their county players, but were also missing Stephen O’Malley and Jason Gibbons, while Bryan Walsh only contested the last ten minutes of the game due an eye injury that was impeding his vision.
The hosts would actually score the first point of the second half through the dangerous Conor Finnerty once again, before Finnian Burke added another. However they would then go the next twenty minutes without scoring, while Balla began to turn the screw up front.
Mazy and tricky running from Mayo under-20 Oisin Cronin began to find gaps in the Ballintubber defence, and Cronin won numerous frees for Murphy to convert. Murphy kicked Balla’s first four of the half, all from frees, before Jack Harte reduced the gap to just a point with ten minutes to go.
Murphy equalized with another free, before Flanagan marked his excellent impact off the bench with a super score, in what was a throwback to old school full forward play.
Gavin kicked an acute free to equalize with six minutes to go but Balla had the wind and a youthful injection off the bench, with last year’s minors Oisin Jordan, Conor Nolan and Jude Clarke all giving Declan Sweeney and Alan Nolan’s side a boost. Murphy, Cronin, Nolan and ‘keeper David Dolan all pointed in the remaining minutes to secure a much needed first victory of the campaign for Balla.
