Goals won the day.
2024 Talbot Hotel JFC C Final
Bagenalstown Gaels 3-6, Ballon 0-9
By Stephen Bambrick
With the team announcements prior to the Talbot Hotel JFC C Final having just finished, the sighting of Bagenalstown Gaels selector Mick Crowe heading towards Marty Barry suggested there was a late change to their starting 15. Eoghan Hickey’s late inclusion, with Andrew Townsend having pulled up in the warm-up, worked a treat with his second-half hat trick of goals setting the Town up for victory.
With Ballon out to match Clonmore’s double Junior A/C wins of 2022 while also trying to add to this team’s Division 5 win back in June (eight of that team having moved up to Junior A since) and Bagenalstown Gaels trying to bounce straight back up to Junior B, something had to give. Both sides were guilty of early wayward shooting, with Mark Kennedy, Aidan Dowling, Alan Beaton, and Darragh Byrne all missing the target, though Byrne got the game and Ballon’s first from a free after Thomas Murphy had been pulled back. The Gaels continued to mount up the wides, with Kuba, Jake Doyle, and Billy Fitzpatrick all missing, meaning it was the end of the first quarter by the time an equalizer arrived. Carlow senior hurler Doyle’s second successive catch from a Ballon kickout was dispatched back over James Carroll’s crossbar, making it 0-1 to 0-1 with the first quarter over.
Another Ballon free gave Byrne the chance to point, but with his free falling short, the experienced John Gittens followed in, getting a fist to man (Kuba) and ball, making it 0-2 to 0-1 in the 17th minute. Bagenalstown Gaels’ superiority was not reflecting on the scoreboard with another pair of wides to come before Beaton eventually kicked from 35m to level matters, 0-2 to 0-2 on 20 minutes.
Bagenalstown Gaels’ other current county hurler Niall Bolger gave Leon Power the chance to regain the lead when punching over in the 24th minute, with a let-off coming at the other end as Paul Fitzpatrick cleared from under his side’s crossbar. With Darragh Byrne having got the half’s first score, he also got the half’s last, his free in the 27th minute leaving the sides all square at the break, 0-3 to 0-3.
Byrne’s third converted free following a foul on Lorcan Moore in the 31st minute made it 0-4 to 0-3, but with the direct running of Paddy Abbey causing problems, he gave Beaton the equalizer from a free in the 33rd minute. Bagenalstown Gaels continued to dominate everywhere but where it counts most (on the scoreboard), another let-off coming in the 40th minute with Abbey the last man back.
With Jake Doyle getting on more ball as the game went on, it was he who kicked a wonderful lead point in the 42nd minute. His 43rd-minute effort from the same spot dropped short with Eoghan Hickey’s boot just getting there ahead of the advancing Ballon goalkeeper to net his first goal, 1-5 to 0-4, the game’s biggest lead.
Ballon’s next attack saw Kuba get a yellow card for a foul that Byrne tapped over for a one-score game in the 45th minute. Kuba then did well intercepting a Byrne effort in the 48th minute, with the next score arriving in the 50th minute. Billy Fitzpatrick’s pointed effort came back off the post into the grateful hands on the edge of the square of Hickey (in the same spot he scored his first goal), who once more found the net, making it 2-5 to 0-5.
Ballon weren’t done yet, with Gittens pointing following a one-two with Byrne in the 53rd minute. Paul Fitzpatrick, in the 55th minute, once more cleared off his own goal line, and Byrne again pointed the resultant 45. The score soon became 2-5 to 0-8 courtesy of Lorcan Moore in the 56th minute.
Bagenalstown Gaels needed an insurance point badly to calm the nerves, and it came through Beaton’s free after Doyle was fouled, making it 2-6 to 0-8 in the 59th minute. If the late change of Hickey had worked a treat, then the 60th-minute springing of David O’Dwyer trumped it. His 61st-minute solo run drew the Ballon cover, with his pass to Hickey for his match ball third goal finally breaking the Ballon resistance, making it 3-6 to 0-8.
The 63rd minute saw Kuba receive a second yellow, and Byrne’s free concluded the scoring for a final score of 3-6 to 0-9.
Bagenalstown Gaels – Kuba Budzisz (JC), Paul Fitzpatrick, Liam Cummins, Mark Kennedy, Jordi Condon, Paddy Abbey, Eoghan Dowling, Leon Power (0-1), Niall Bolger, Jake Doyle (0-2), Billy Fitzpatrick, Eoghan Hickey (3-0), Thomas Geoghegan, Alan Beaton (JC) (0-3, 0-2f), Aidan Dowling.
Subs – Alan Whelan for Geoghegan (39 mins), David O’Dwyer for Abbey (60 mins).
Ballon – James Carroll, Johnny Brennan, Dan Fanning, Nick Mullins, Jamie Maher, Joe Holden, Ciaran Lewis (C), Eoghan Doyle, John Gittens (0-2), Danny Gibson, Thomas Murphy, Padraig Murphy, Darragh Byrne (0-6, 0-5f, 0-1, 45m), Lorcan Moore (0-1), Thomas Maher.
Subs – Ryan Clarke for Mullins (54 mins).
Referee – Sean McCormack (O’Hanrahans).
