Ballinagar’s long season ends with attacking malfunction in Milltown defeat

A LONG, somewhat traumatic season came to an end for Ballinagar on Saturday when Milltown evicted them from the Leinster Club Intermediate Football Championship in O'Connor Park, Tullamore.

AIB Leinster Intermediate Football Championship quarter-final

Milltown (Westmeath) 0-14

Ballinagar 0-11

Ballinagar's defeat to Tullamore in the senior B final, their second successive loss at that stage, will be the abiding memory of the year for them. It was Tullamore's second team and with them not allowed progress to Leinster, Ballinagar were Offaly's representatives. There was a long seven week gap between the Offaly final and this game and Ballinagar deserve a lot of credit for the way they put their best foot forward.

They continued training, they had challenge games and they gave it what they had on the day. The manner of the loss, however, will leave a lingering sense of regret and it means that they will carry a cloud into the 2027 season.

Westmeath intermediate champions Milltown are a decent side and they produced a couple of truly outstanding individual performances here but they are no world beaters and there was every opportunity for Ballinagar to extract something from their season.

Instead, they had an attacking malfunction on the day. They had only six points scored as injury time approached and while they ended up with 11 and just one score behind, they only managed two points from play. One of these came from a defender Brian Malone, the other came from a forward substituted at the three quarter way mark, Adam Mangan and Ballinagar just could not win with that type of return.

Their attacking talisman Robbie Gallagher was held for the first time this year, only scoring two points from frees and once that happened, Ballinagar were in trouble. Gallagher was guilty of trying too hard if anything, perhaps attempting to force things, but he can hold his head up high as he toiled with great honesty. However, with Gallagher unable to escape the clutches of a Milltown defence, whose tackling and turnovers were of a high order, Ballinagar were always going to struggle.

Morgan Tynan's striking was excellent as his seven points from frees included three two pointers but they were almost completely reliant on frees for scores. Ballinagar's defence did enough at the other end but as a unit they didn't work hard enough to stop Milltown defensive raids up field, especially Matthew Gunning who scored a decisive six points from wing back.

There was a definite opportunity for Ballinagar to progress but ultimately, they deserved to lose and Milltown deserved to win.

There was no issue with Ballinagar's overall application. They made a solid start and controlled a lot of the early play but scoring emerged as an early ordeal. 0-2 to 0-1 behind after thirteen minutes, Ballinagar struggled woefully in the second quarter. They were 0-6 to 0-1 behind when Robbie Gallagher converted his second free in the 25th minute and they were fortunate to be only 0-6 to 0-2 behind at the break.

Ballinagar could have conceded a couple of goals in the first half. Diarmuid Finneran made a great goal line clearance to deny Conor Dillon a 14th minute goal and Luke Gunning rejected a goal chance for an 18th minute point. Ballinagar had six wides in the first half but Milltown did leave the door open for them.

Two Conor Dillon points pushed Milltown 0-8 to 0-2 ahead after 34 minutes but Ballinagar did well to fight their way back into it. They knuckled down, Adam Strong came into his own at midfield and they dominated for fifteen minutes or so. Adam Mangan got their first point from play in the 36th minute and Morgan Tynan floated over two frees, the second a two point one, to make it a two point game, 0-6 to 0-8 after 43 minutes.

Just when it was looking like Ballinagar had the initiative, Milltown regained their composure and got back on top. Matthew Gunning settled them and they added four points for a 0-13 to 0-8 lead with four minutes left.

Tynan got another two point free and Brian Malone's point made it 0-13 to 0-9 a minute into injury time. Conor Dillon got Milltown's final point and Morgan Tynan's third two point free left just a goal in it but there was no sense that Ballinagar would rescue it and Milltown held on with a degree of comfort.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Matthew Gunning (Milltown): An easy call here as Matthew Gunning had a sensational game for Milltown. He scored six points, including a 22nd minute two pointer. He got three important points in the closing quarter and was very good on the ball. He attacked at every opportunity and also defended well, tackling fairly and turning over ball.

Conor Dillon oozed quality in the Milltown attack while Ballinagar's best players were at the back. Diarmuid Finneran did very well in the defence, doing the simple thing well – he was just back from Australia a couple of weeks before the senior B final and Ballinagar will be wondering if he would have tied up Shane Dooley, who had such a decisive influence on the day, if the decision was taken to start him. Brian Malone played his heart out, trying to drive Ballinagar back into the game in the second half, Adam Strong had an excellent third quarter and Morgan Tynan worked hard, taking his frees well.

THE SCORERS

Milltown: Matthew Gunning 0-6 (1 x 2p), Conor Dillon 0-3, Ben McGauran 0-2 (2f), Jack Duncan, Henry Duncan and Luke Gunning 0-1 each.

Ballinagar: Morgan Tynan 0-7 (3 x 2pf and 1f), Robbie Gallagher 0-2 (2f), Brian Malone and Adam Mangan 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

BALLINAGAR: Ryan Kinahan; Kevin Beirne, Diarmuid Finneran, Declan Crombie; Adam Joyce, Brian Malone, Oissine Troy; David McElduff, Adam Strong; Aaron Gorman, Morgan Tynan, Ryan Strong; Conor Bracken, Robbie Gallagher, Adam Mangan. Subs – Jack Sheil for McElduff, inj. (10m), Jacob Beatty for Gorman (41m), Jamie Ballesty for Mangan (46m).

MILLTOWN: Alan Geraghty; Sean Dillon, Bernard Kiernan, Diarmuid Maguire; Matthew Gunning, Shane O'Malley, Peter Ballesty; Patrick Somers, Dylan Murtagh; Jack Duncan, Conor Dillon, Henry Duncan; Ben McGauran, Conor Lynn, Luke Gunning. Subs – Thomas Lynn for Duncan (38m), Frank McLoughlin for Luke Gunning (45m), Aidan Maguire for Ballesty (59m).

Referee – Barry Tiernan, Dublin.

REFEREE WATCH

Barry Tiernan had a very good game and was not a factor.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

The 44th minute point Matthew Gunning kicked was important. Ballinagar had got the deficit back to two points, it settled Milltown down and they got well on top for the next few minutes.

VENUE WATCH

The O'Connor Park pitch was in excellent condition. It was sanded recently and this will help the surface going forward. Both clubs brought a decent crowd to it.

WHAT'S NEXT

Milltown go into the semi-finals against Carlow's Ballon..

STATISTICS

Wides: Ballinagar - 8 (6 in first half); Milltown – 3 (2 in first half).

Yellow cards: 0

Black cards: 0

Red cards: 0