Ballon demolished their neighbours on Friday night.
Ballon 3-12 Kilbride 0-9
By Stephen Bambrick
Ballon booked their place in this year’s Talbot Hotel JFC Final with a comprehensive semi-final win over neighbours Kilbride.
Once they hit the front in the 12th minute, they never looked back. A pair of well-worked, well-taken first-half Peter Zerafa goals set them well on their way by the half-time whistle (2-7 to 0-4).
The familiar figure of Darragh Foley opened the scoring in the 2nd minute for Kilbride from a free, with Stephen Carroll doubling the advantage from Stephen Curry’s pass in the 5th minute. Ballon’s first score, when it did arrive in the 7th minute, was possibly the score of the night, with captain Brendan Fanning leading by example, soloing along the stand side sideline and landing a great point. Conor Bolger leveled things up in the 9th minute before Jim Nolan’s converted mark from Fanning’s pinpoint pass saw them take a lead they would hold to the end.
Kilbride, already down Padraic Nolan, were dealt a blow, losing Stephen Curry to injury in the 16th minute. This blow was amplified seconds later with a turnover in the Kilbride defence setting Jim Nolan clear. His offload to Peter Zerafa resulted in a goal, making it 1-3 to 0-2.
Darragh Foley’s monster kick had it back to a goal before Liam Brennan, following another turnover, made it 1-4 to 0-3. Jack Fitzgerald (Curry’s replacement) got on the end of a move involving Foley and Mark Curry to take a sweet point, making it 1-4 to 0-4 in the 24th minute.
The remaining 6-7 minutes of the half saw Ballon tack on 1-3 without reply. Zerafa scored his second goal (Nolan the supplier again), Conor Bolger added two points, and Liam Brennan got his second as well. Although Shane Duffy wasn’t on the scoreboard, his link play caused trouble for Kilbride, resulting in a 2-7 to 0-4 lead at the break.
A scoreless start to the second half lasted until the 6th minute when the ball was pinging around the Ballon square, and Daniel Bolger was fouled, giving Kilbride a lifeline. However, Foley’s spot kick went past Colm Barry’s right-hand post and wide.
Evan Corr’s 35-meter free in the 39th minute was the first score of the second half. Kilbride went close to a goal again with Daniel Bolger, whose left-foot effort rebounded to safety off the post. Foley and Bolger would find the target, but white flags had to suffice in the 46th and 47th minutes. Fitzgerald’s second of the night came a minute later, and another goal chance came and went minutes later with Barry’s feet saving from Tom Donald. Kilbride’s goal just wasn’t going to come.
Foley and Corr swapped points in the 51st minute before the recently introduced Michael O’Leary and Kevin Maher paid their way for the winners by the game’s end. “Mouse” scored a quality brace (one a fly kick), Maher supplied Fanning for his second point, and both subs combined for Maher to score a goal in additional time.
Michael O’Brien got Kilbride’s final score earlier. It ended 3-12 to 0-9, with another monumental battle against Leighlinbridge to come for Ballon in this year’s Championship Final.
Ballon:
Colm Barry
Joshua Fernandez
Lorcan Doyle
Johnny Maher
Jimmy Carroll
Fionn McCaffrey
Brendan Fanning (0-2)
Jim Nolan (0-1)
Conor Bolger (0-3)
Myles Hutton
Evan Corr (0-2, 0-1f)
Dan O’Connor
Liam Brennan (0-2)
Peter Zerafa (2-0)
Shane Duffy
Subs:
Corey Kelleher for Jimmy Carroll (33 mins)
Kevin Maher (1-0) for Peter Zerafa (37 mins)
Michael O’Leary (0-2) for Liam Brennan
David Wilson for Myles Hutton (48 mins)
Paddy Byrne for Dan O’Connor (59 mins)
Kilbride:
Michael Brown
Sean Foley
Mark Curry
Michael O’Brien (0-1)
Brendan Butler
Tom Donald
Jack Ryan
Joe Waters
Darragh Foley (0-4, 0-2f)
Pierce Deane
Eoin Nolan
Stephen Curry
Daniel Bolger (0-1)
Stephen Carroll (0-1)
Griffin Kennedy
Subs:
Jack Fitzgerald (0-2) for Stephen Curry (16 mins)
Alan Curry for Griffin Kennedy (33 mins)
James Foley for Brendan Butler (38 mins)
Chris Buckley for Pierce Deane (59 mins)
Jack Cranny for Jack Ryan (59 mins)
Referee: Brian Deering (Rathvilly)
