This one went to the wire.
2024 Talbot Hotel Carlow Junior A Football Quarter Final
Ballon 0-10, Asca 1-6
By Jamie Wall
The opening Quarter Final of the Talbot Hotel Junior A football final took place Friday night in Netwatch Cullen Park between Acsa and Ballon.
The opening score of the game came from a great right footed effort of Conor Byrne from distance after just two minutes on the clock. Ballon replied within three minutes to level the score thanks to good hands by Peter Zerafa and Evan Corr with Liam Brennan being the man to convert the move.
A long-ranged dropping free was gathered by the tall figure of Jim Nolan with the Ballon man opting to fist the ball over the bar to give his side the lead. The next seven minutes were quiet on the scoreboard but both teams were creating chances with the final pass just letting them down.
With thirteen minutes gone on the clock Asca started to kick on in the game with a John Dwyer swivelling on a six pence to fire over. From the following kickout Asca broke forward with Conor Byrne and Conor O’Brien gaining yards together, but the final pass was just a yard to far for Ben Doorley who got a hand to it but not enough to flick past Colm Barry in the Ballon goal.
Ballon reacted well to this purple patch and with John Phiri being closely manned by his past Knockbeg school mate Conor Bolger, Ballon went on to kick the next three scores.
Two Shane Duffy points in just four minutes with the latter of those coming from his fist as he got on the end of a dropping shot from Corey Kelleher. Evan Corr followed up from his teammate with a fine score on the turn despite the best efforts of Danny Quigley.
Like all good Asca teams this side did not panic with captain Jack Phelan working hard to turn over the ball before he gathers and puts it over with great composure. James Ingram who was up and down the field got a well earned free with Ben Doorley converting to send his team down the tunnel leaving the minimum between the sides.
The second half started as the first did. Blistering. Asca’s John Phiri flicks the ball through a crowd of players to send Ben Doorley in but Colm Barry is quick to react and gathers up the ball.
Then the hard working John Phiri found Jack Phelan in space, and he makes no mistake in levelling the game from a tight angle.
With forty-three minutes on the clock Asca keeper William Long dealt well with a dropping shot and he got Asca going on a counter. The ball finds its way to Conor O’Brien whose shot is stopped by Colm Barry but referee Brian Deering deemed the keeper to have foot blocked the ball and awards Asca a penalty.
Jack Phelan cooly finished in off the left-hand post of the O’Hanrahans end of the pitch putting his side 3 up. A wayward pass from Asca gave Evan Corr a goal chance but he blazed over the bar.
Ballon worked the ball well to find space in blanket defence and Kevin Maher who cuts the lead back to one. John Phiri caught the kickout. The ball was worked to James Ingram who weaved his way through to put the ball over the bar.
Jim Nolan caught the restart and found Evan Corr on his way through, but Danny Quigley pulled him down and is issued a black card with three of normal left. Evan Corr steps up and converts off the deck.
Ballon broke the kickout, Michael O’Leary gathers converts and wheels off pointing to the stand in celebration as he levels the game. Shane Duffy turned the ball over and soccer style dribbled the ball before passing it off to Michael O’Leary who handpassed the ball over the bar to give Ballon the win by one.
Ballon face Kilbride in what is sure to be a thrilling last 4 encounter on Friday night.
Asca: William Long; Aaron Bowden, Stephen Fennell, Mark O’Brien; Jack Phelan©, Danny Quigley, Diarmuid Long; Byran Jackson, John Piri; Leo Hurley, Ben Doorley, Conor O’Brien; James Ingram, Conor Byrne, John Dwyer.
Subs: Evan McAteer for Bowden (33mins), Ben Deacon for Byrne (39mins), Andrew Vint for Hosey (57mins).
Scorers: J Phelan 1-2 (1-0 pen), J Ingram 0-1, C Byrne 0-1, J Dwyer 0-1, B Doorley 0-1(f).
Ballon: Colm Barry; Josh Fernandez, Lorcan Doyle, Johnny Maher; Jimmy Carroll, Fionn McCaffrey, Brendan Fanning ©; Jim Nolan, Conor Bolger; Corey Kelleher, Evan Corr, Conor Kearney; Liam Brennan, Peter Zerafa, Shane Duffy.
Subs: Kevin Maher for Zerafa (36mins), Donnacha Murphy for Kearney (36mins), Myles Hutton for Kelleher (38mins), Michael O’Leary for Brennan (46mins), Callum Crawford for Carroll (58mins).
Scorers: E Corr 0-3 (1f), S Duffy 0-2, M O’Leary 0-2, L Brennan 0-1, L Maher 0-1, J Nolan 0-1.
Referee: Brian Deering (Rathvilly)
