Quality goals tell the tale as heroic Ballycommon return to top flight football

WITH their backs very much to the wall at half time, Ballycommon stood up to be counted all over the field in the second half to turn a thrilling Senior “B” Football Championship final replay in their favour.

Tullamore Court Hotel Senior “B” Football Championship final replay

Ballycommon 4-8

Clonbullogue 2-11

In another high octane, absolutely engrossing game, Ballycommon outscored a devastated Clonbullogue team by 3-3 to 1-6 against the wind in the second half to return to top flight football for the first time since the 1980s.

It has been an incredible oddessey for Ballycommon and the enormity of their presence in senior football next year must be acknowledged. A small rural club on the outskirts of Tullamore in Daingean parish and straddling the Westmeath border – with the pub in Ballycommon closed for a few years now, their post match celebrations on Saturday evening are across the border in the Hazel in Rahugh - , Ballycommon won a centenary cup at senior football level back in 1984 but hit some very dark days in the 1990s and 2000s when declining population and serious issues with numbers saw them operate in pure survival mode.

Elder statesmen from the 1970s and 1980s such as Ollie Scally, Ollie Larkin, Pat, Declan and Jimmy Todd, Seamus Bracken, the Mann's, and others stayed on well past their sell by date in the 1990s and on to keep them alive and it was very fitting that some of their children are now playing starring roles. Ballycommon went back to junior “B”, winning that title in 2009 and since then have begun a gradual climb out of the doldrums.

As numbers rose, the wheel turned and they won junior football in 2017 before taking intermediate last year. Now they have put big championships back to back and they can look forward to a tilt at senior football level.

Over the course of the two games, Ballcommon were the better team and deserve their win but full credit to Clonbullogue for fighting like tigers every step of the way. The losers actually gave a slightly better, more balanced display on Saturday but still fell short as Ballycommon resisted the temptation to shoot themselves in the foot on this occasion.

They had been five points up inside the last five minutes the last day but blew it and the final equaliser came after Karl Dunne booted a free thirty metres back towards his own goalkeeper at the end of injury time and Clonbullogue secured the equaliser from the ensuing free. When they got five points up here with time almost up, the Ballycommon supporters certainly went on high alert but there was no kamikaze moments here aas they retained their composure, did the right thing and held on for the win.

Aptly, Karl Dunne was among the heroes who stood up to be counted as Ballycommon pulled it back from a bad position in the second half and his physicality and presence regularly stopped Clonbullogue players in their tracks as he played almost flawlessly.

Dunne, his younger brother Conor and rock solid centre half back Barry Bracken had found themselves under scrutiny in the build up to this game. They had played an All-Ireland League rugby game for Tullamore less than 48 hours before the first game and that was just way too close to a football game of this magnitude as well as placing Ballycommon in a very difficult predicament. With Tullamore playing in the All-Ireland League in Tyrone on Saturday, there had been some doubts about their participation for Ballycommon but the belief that they would play the football proved to be well founded. The repercussions and fallout would have been very severe if they weren't there but they made their availability known in the middle of the week and Ballycommon could not have won this title without the three – team captain Aidan Bracken had the luxury of being able to joke about their rugby commitments in his acceptance speech.

Conor Dunne also had a very big role to play. Clonbullogue worked hard to limit his influence but he worked hard, did the simple thing well and got forward more. He also scored a stunning second half goal in the 59th minute, racing into space as Clonbullogue backed off and driving a lot shot to the near corner of the net to give Ballycommon a 4-8 to 2-9 lead. That goal more or less ended Clonbullogue's challenge and while Jamie Guing and Jack McEvoy got injury time points to bring it back to a score, time ran out on them.

Ballycommon got three second half goals and these won the day. Level at half time, 1-5 each after playing with a strong wind, Ballycommon were in serious trouble and the game was very much Clonbullogue's to lose at this stage. We knew, however, that it wouldn't be that simple, that the teams were so evenly matched that there would be plenty of twists and turnsand that this was far from a done deal.

We also suspected that Clonbullogue might struggle to win it if Ballycommon were breathing down their neck inside the closing ten minutes and so it proved.

Ballycommon, however, had to hit the ground running in the second half and they did this with a slight but very significant increase in work rate and intensity. They got the break they needed with a soft enough penalty in the 38th minute when Jamie Quinn was penalised for fouling Brian Todd. Ryan Kenny, man of the match in the drawn game, but much more in and out of it here despite playing well, belied his tender years with a supremely confident finish to put Ballycommon 2-6 to 1-6 ahead.

His older brother, Chris Kenny added a free and those scores changed the whole complexion of the game. Clonbullogue dug deep and did really well to get back on level terms. Jamie Guing got a crucial point and they levelled it up with a superb opportunist punched goal from Ruari O'Neill in the 45th minute – David Dempsey's point shot dropped well short and O'Neill was able to nip in as Paul Scally came unconvincingly for the ball.

The next score changed the game back for Ballycommon and it was very similar to Conor Dunne's goal. In the 46th minute, Chris Kenny ran through the middle and with Ryan Kenny peeling off him to offer an option, the Clonbullogue defence backed off and Kenny finished brilliantly to the net – the quality of Kenny's goal and his overall second half display deserves to be acknowledged as he had made a few mistakes and hit a few wides in a very uncertain first half.

Ryan Kenny added a point and suddenly Ballycommon were four ahead again, with eight minutes left. Again, Clonbullogue showed their character and they got back into the game with a Jack McEvoy mark and Keith O'Neill. They should have got closer as Jamie Guing and Jack McEvoy kicked bad wides, with Guing's a particularly clear chance. It meant that Conor Dunne's goal was a match winner and Clonbullogue just didn't have time to pull it out of the fire again – in the closing quarter, Clonbullogue's desire shone like a beacon but the composure was not really there and while some of this was down to the Ballycommon defence, the vanquished also have to look at themselves.

In the first half, Clonbullogue looked like they would win it as they were excellent into the wind. They set their team up better, starting Keith O'Neill at midfield and playing Jack McEvoy in full forward. Both were super in their new roles with O'Neill really good on the ball and McEvoy providing a great focal point – in the second half, they asked a lot of McEvoy as they moved him out to midfield and then back into full forward as the game ebbed and flowed and it meant that he couldn't settle.

O'Neill and McEvoy, however, ran a lot of the game in the first half, though Clonbullogue would have been in bother if Chris Kenny had dispatched an early goal chance instead of drawing a fine save from Cian Corcoran. Clonbullogue grabbed the initiative with a seventh minute goal with Jamie Guing blasting home to rebound after his penalty had hit the cross bar – the penalty was awarded for a foul on Guing after a sensational Lee Dempsey ball in over the top and the Ballycommon defence were certainly not alert to the possibility of a save or the woodwork as Guing had metres of space to deal with the rebound.

That goal gave Clonbullogue a 1-1 to 0-2 lead and a Jack McEvoy free and Shane O'Brien mark put them 1-3 to 0-3 ahead after fourteen minutes. It was 1-4 to 0-4 after 23 minutes and with Chris Kenny having a couple of wides, it looked like it could be one of those days for Ballycommon.

A 24th minute goal from impressive sub, Sean Conway gave them a lifeline that they probably would not have survived without – Conway showed very well when introduced and his finish was top quality after Ryan Kenny did really well to set him up. Peter Byrne and Stephen Conneely exchanged points to leave it all square at the break and while the initiative was with Clonbullogue, Ballycommon were very much still alive.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Brian Todd (Ballycommon): It was a very good, engrossing game of football and both sides had contenders. Keith O'Neill and Jack McEvoy were the primary reasons Clonbullogue went so close while Jamie Guing and Ian Curry also impressed for them. Aidan Bracken led by example in the Ballycommon defence, cutting out a lot of ball and using it very well. He was very close to getting the nod while Michael Conneely, Gareth Mann and Stephen Conneely also had very positive influences for them. My choise is Brian Todd, who put in a terrific shift at midfield. Some of his work was in the “unseen” category as he closed down men, covered back and drove forward. He was also very good on the ball, using it well as he broke the line and getting into good positions as well as being fouled for the first half penalty.

THE SCORERS

Ballycommon: Ryan Kenny 1-2 (goal from a penalty and 2f), Chris Kenny (1f) and Conor Dunne 1-1 each, Sean Conway 1-0, Gareth Mann and Stephen Conneely 0-2 each.

Clonbullogue: Jamie Guing 1-3 (1f), Ruari O'Neill 1-0, Jack McEvoy (1f and 1 mark) and Keith O'Neill (2f) 0-3 each, Peter Byrne and Shane O'Brien (mark) 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

BALLYCOMMON: Paul Scally; David Dempsey, Aidan Bracken, Matthew Dempsey; Chulainn Boland, Barry Bracken, Michael Conneely; Brian Todd, Dylan Martin; Karl Dunne, Gareth Mann, Stephen Conneely; Ryan Kenny, Chris Kenny, Conor Dunne. Subs – Sean Conway for Matthew Dempsey (17m), Jack Kenny for Chris Kenny (60m).

CLONBULLOGUE: Cian Corcoran; Diarmaid O'Neill, Jamie Quinn, David Dempsey; Harry Judge, Ian Curry, Peter Bennett; Keith O'Neill, Peter Byrne; Ryan Dempsey, Lee Dempsey, Ruari O'Neill; Jamie Guing, Jack McEvoy, Shane O'Brien. Subs – Sean Foran for Byrne (44m), Eoghan Kinsella for Judge (44m), Daryl Quinn for O'Brien (52m), Joe Foran for Ruari O'Neill (56m).

Referee – Kevin Williamson (Tullamore).

REFEREE WATCH

Kevin Williamson had a very good game. He let it run and was fair and consistent. There may have been a few frees not given and a couple of soft ones here and there but these very much balanced out. His refereeing contributed to the enjoyment of the game.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

All of Ballycommon's goals were crucial and the ones from Sean Conway, Chris Kenny and Conor Dunne were worthy of winning any game. Chris Kenny's 46th minute goal was a game changing moment as Clonbullogue were very much in it at that stage. It was a top quality goal and it gave Ballycommon a 3-7 to 2-7 lead, resulting in Clonbullogue having to chase the game from there on and leaving gaps down the field.

VENUE WATCH

Dry weather coupled with a drying wind meant that the O'Connor Park pitch was close to perfection. There was a good crowd and atmosphere here.

WHAT'S NEXT

Ballycommon are away to Louth in the Leinster Club IFC next weekend.

STATISTICS

Wides: Ballycommon – 9 (7 in first half); Clonbullogue - 9 (4 in first half).

Yellow cards: Ballycommon – 0; Clonbullogue – 1 (Jack McEvoy).

Black cards: 0.

Red cards: 0.