Tubber much the happier after great comeback as wasteful Ballinagar drop another point

TUBBER certainly should have been the happier team after them and Ballinagar served up a thrilling draw in a most enjoyable Senior “B” Football Championship shootout in Tubber on Friday evening.

Tullamore Court Hotel Senior “B” Football Championship Round 3

Tubber 1-20

Ballinagar 3-14

While Tubber were not jumping for joy or celebrating in any way at the final whistle, it was a point gained for them, a point dropped for Ballinagar, who are learning tough lessons at the higher grade on their way from the lower rungs up towards the top of the Offaly footballing ladder.

With county hurling star Donal Shirley watching on with his broken wrist in a plaster, Tubber will feel they would have won with him on board and they probably would have. He would definitely have been worth three or four points to them and Tubber showed their long time experience of playing at this level to take a share of the spoils.

It was far from a flawless Tubber display but they did really well to get a draw in a game where they really should have been beaten, and possibly even well beaten – they did very little wrong and were particularly efficient up front, converting almost all their chances and registering just four wides.

It leaves them on three points from three games and with their fate very much in their own hands. Tubber played near enough as well as they could have and they provided a great example to Ballinagar of a side doing the right thing for the most part, staying patient, waiting for your opportunities and keeping going when things were going wrong.

Ballinagar could not say that they played as well as they could have. What they can say is that they looked to be clearly the best team and played the best football by far in those spells when they clicked into top gear. They also showed plenty of character to take a point and deserve credit for keeping their heads up when they went into arrears during the second half and it looked like the game was slipping out of their reach. They showed they had the heart for it and they are finding their way at this level.

There are also very unpalatable hard facts for Ballinagar. They were ten points up after thirteen minutes with their opponents having scarcely attacked, managing a solitary point and had ran them off their feet. Yet they were outscored by 1-19 to 1-9 in the remaining 45 minutes plus but had at least as much possession, probably more, than Tubber, notwithstanding the great spells of home pressure and periods when they really got into the ascendancy, leaving Ballinagar hanging on for dear life.

It would be easy to be critical of Ballinagar for letting that early 2-5 to 0-1 lead slip and for some of the football they played but you also have to remember where they are coming from. They were in Offaly's fourth tier, junior less than a handful of years ago, they won intermediate last year and they are very much on a learning curve.

Their shooting and their shot selection was the reason they didn't win this while there were also spells when their work rate rate dropped alarmingly low – they just didn't work hard enough off the ball and they weren't quick enough in for the many breaks.

After drawing with Cappincur in their first game, Ballinagar now have two points instead of the four they could and perhaps should have. It means they are on a tightrope at the moment and while they could yet emerge as very serious title contenders once they adjust to this level, they could very easily end up in a relegation battle as well.

All possibilities are on the table for them and Ballinagar will be wondering how they are in such a fragile position. They were brilliant in the first quarter here. Morgan Tynan was on fire as he the Tubber full back line alive early on, kicking three beautiful points as Ballinagar hit the ground running.

Robbie Gallagher raced through for a sensational eight minute goal to put them 1-4 to 0-1 up and Conor McGuinness's punched goal made it 2-5 to 0-1 after thirteen minutes.

Tubber were in dire trouble and with one of their players, Ciaran McGuinness, reacting furiously to comments from their mentors, it looked like it could unravel spectacularly for them. Yet McGuinness and Tubber managed to play their way into the game. With county star Bernard Allen deadly accurate, Tubber outscored Ballinagar by 0-8 to 0-2 to trail by 2-7 to 0-9 at half time.

Ballinagar contributed to their own hardship with Morgan Tynan and Robbie Gallagher going for two pointers that were not on while the visitors did not work hard enough in the second quarter – they went twelve minutes without a score and it was in this period that they dropped the point.

Tubber turned the screw superbly in the third quarter and Ballinagar's struggles were reflected by the way home players were queuing up before sub Pauric Robbins got a 37^th minute goal to put Tubber a point ahead, 1-13 to 2-9.

It was a quite remarkable turn around. Adam Joyce levelled it up but Conor Fox's super two pointer made it 1-15 to 2-10 after 39 minutes. All the momentum was with Tubber and Ballinagar did very well to halt the rot. Geordi O'Meara fisted a point and they had another spell of wasteful football before Morgan Tynan converted a 45^th minute penalty to put Ballinagar back ahead, 3-11 to 1-15, after the very lively Conor Bracken was fouled.

Two Bernard Allen frees levelled it up before Robbie Gallagher and Eoin McGuinness got points to put Ballinagar two ahead, 3-13 to 1-17 with eight minutes left.

Conor Fox (free) and Robbie Gallagher (“45”) exchanged points to leave Ballinagar two to the good with three minutes left. Tubber's equaliser summed up both days as the hard working Alex Cuddy conceded a sloppily unnecessary free 45 metres out and Conor Fox brilliantly floated over the two pointer – Tubber barely missed a chance all day , though Bernard Allen did uncharacteristically rush a late one for them. Ballinagar had the last attack deep in injury time and Robbie Gallagher was wide with a two point free that was very much in the long odds category.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Adam Strong (Ballinagar): Four contenders spread between both teams. Bernard Allen and Conor Fox were brilliant in the Tubber attack with Allen getting four of his nine points from play and Fox making a great seven point contribution, including huge two pointers from play and a free.

Robbie Gallagher had a great game for Ballinagar, full of running, even though Tubber were quick to close him down. He took the wrong option a couple of times but was immense. Ballinagar midfielder Adam Strong is the selection. He ran the game in the first quarter and continued to prosper after that, though Lee Colgan improved at midfield for Tubber. Strong made some fantastic catches, put in hard hits and hard yards and it was not his fault that there were several times that team mates didn't react quickly enough to balls that he broke very intelligently.

Enda McLoughlin did very well after a torrid opening 10 minutes or so on Morgan Tynan. Ciaran Allen had to go back to trouble shoot for a while before McLoughlin took up duty again and he got to grips with his task, ensuring that Tynan, a man with powerful Tubber connections – his first cousins Ronan and Patrick Farrell were on the Tubber team - couldn't get shots off on his strong left foot.

Aaron Gorman, Jack Gorry, Brian Malone Adam Joyce, Lee Colgan, Enda McLoughlin and sub Pauric Robbins were among the others who showed up well in a captivating game.

THE SCORERS

Tubber: Bernard Allen 0-9 (5f), Conor Fox 0-7 (1 x 2pf, 1f), Pauric Robbins 1-0, Lee Colgan, Sean Farrell, Ciaran McGuinness, Patrick Farrell (mark) 0-1 each.

Ballinagar: Robbie Gallagher 1-5 (1 '45'), Morgan Tynan 1-3 (goal from a penalty), Conor McGuiness 1-0, Conor Bracken 0-2, Eoin McGuinness, Adam Joyce, Alex Cuddy, Geordi O'Meara 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

BALLINAGAR: Ryan Kinahan; Declan Crombie, Diarmuid Finneran, Eoin McGuinness; Jack Gorry, Brian Malone, Aaron Gorman; Adam Strong, Alex Cuddy; Conor McGuinness, Adam Joyce Geordi O'Meara; Conor Bracken, Morgan Tynan, Robbie Gallagher, Subs – Jacob Beatty for Conor McGuinness (45m), Hugh Murphy for Kavanagh, inj. (17m), Ciaran Murphy for Patrick Farrell (HT), Pauric Robbins for Kinahan (35m), Eoin Murphy for Ronan Farrell (52m).

TUBBER: James Langan; David Fallon, Enda McLoughlin, Nigel Farrell; Sean Farrell, Eddie Kavanagh, Ciaran Allen; Ciaran Kinahan, Lee Colgan; Padriag McLoughlin, Conor Fox, Ciaran McGuinness; Bernard Allen, Brian Kelly, Patrick Farrell. Subs -

Referee – Brian Gavin (Clara).

REFEREE WATCH

A vastly experienced referee, Brian Gavin allowed it to flow but was in control and there were no major issues. He had an excellent game.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Morgan Tynan's 46^th minute penalty goal was absolutely crucial. It steadied the Ballinagar ship when Tubber had the momentum and without it, they would probably have suffered a devastating defeat that would have been very hard to recover from.

VENUE WATCH

Tubber always take great pride in their facilities and hosting matches well. They were particularly keen do put their best foot forward with their own team here and they managed it with their usual professionalism while their facilities were in great order. Their stewards were very courteous, obliging and helpful, going out of their way to welcome their opponents and other visitors.

WHAT'S NEXT

Ballinagar host Ballycumber in round 4 while Tubber have their bye and meet Ballycumber next on September 14.

STATISTICS

Wides: Ballinagar – 11 (6 in first half); Tubber – 4 (2 in first half).

Yellow cards: Tubber – 2 (Eddie Kavanagh, Hugh Murphy)); Ballinagar – 0.

Black cards: 0

Red cards: 0