Ballycommon get crucial, deserved win as injury hit Durrow rue missed goal chances

BALLYCOMMON turned their season around with a crucial win over Durrow in round 3 of the Senior Football Championship on Sunday afternoon.

Tullamore Court Hotel Senior Football Championship Group 2 Round 3

Ballycommon 0-21

Durrow 1-12

With two qualifying from the weak group 2, this was a must win game for Ballycommon and it keeps their hopes of qualification firmly on track. They now have four points from three games, following draws with Clonbullogue and Clara, and it keeps them with their fate in their own hand with one game to come against Bracknagh.

Durrow are heading for an early exit with two defeats from two and the absolute key for them now is to keep the show on the road, to fulfil their fixtures and for their senior hurlers to continue playing for them. There is a fear that the wheels could come off their wagon now but after conceding a walkover to Rhode in last year's championship, a repeat this year would be an unmitigated disaster for Durrow and would heap pressure on their merger with Ballinamere – and hopefully they can steady the ship or at least keep it afloat.

As it was, Durrow displayed some of the hallmarks of a mini crisis here. Fate dealt them a cruel hand as they started without three of their best footballers, with Kevin McDermott wearing a heavy leg bandage on the sideline, Dan Bourke nursing an injured shoulder – he is waiting for a scan to determine the extent of it – and Jack Fogarty only able to come on at a half time sub.

Goalkeeper Dermot Colbert was suspended for two games as a result of comments made following Durrow's unlucky first round defeat to Bracknagh, when they had ample chances to win but were caught at the end. One of Bracknagh's points from Peter Cunningham looked to be clearly wide and Colbert received his suspension for remarks made in relation to that.

Colbert's replacement Stephen Fitzgerald didn't start as he headed to Australia on a break on Saturday evening while the stand in goalkeeper Shane McDermott went off in the second half with a very nasty looking hand injury. McDermott's injury led to consternation on the Durrow line before a man not listed among the subs on the programme, Colin Waters went on in goals.

In the midst of all this, their manager Shane Curran was not there to oversee it all. The Roscommon man was at the venue before the game but headed to Croke Park before throw in as his daughter was playing in a ladies football final – Durrow had attempted to get the game changed to Saturday but Ballycommon couldn't facilitate as they had their own complications and Durrow members understood Curran's desire to see his daughter in action on All-Ireland final days.

With their junior footballers having conceding a walkover to Erin Rovers in the championship this weekend after not playing their first round game against Clodiagh Gaels, questions are being asked by people from outside the club – Durrow would undoubtedly have fielded if they could but you would imagine that if things were right and with the pick of players from the Ballinamere end of the parish, they should have the numbers to get out two teams.

It is an unfortunate combination of events for Durrow but taken in their entirety, it all looks a bit chaotic and the remainder of the season won't be simple for them – several of their team are playing senior hurling with Ballinamere.

In the midst of all that, Durrow were not that far away here. Ballycommon were absolutely the better team and desered to win but Durrow had ample goal chances to have salvaged something from it. They looked like getting in for goals throughout the first half and missed two glaring chances in the second half – sub Cian Kinnarney had a shot deflected over in 42nd minute after Brian Duignan and Mark Troy splintered the Ballycommon defence. Kinnarney was just five metres out and it really should have been a goal while Mark Troy was wide from similar territory ten minutes later as Durrow hunted the game.

They certainly should have got those two goals and if they had, they may have rescued a point but Ballycommon were clearly the better footballing side. This game demonstrated the difference between a club concentrating on football and one managing dual commitments. Ballycommon have a lot more football played and this manifested in a variety of ways.

Notwithstanding Durrow's missed goal opportunities, the 0-21 to 1-12 final scoreline was a fair reflection of the difference between the teams and Ballycommon will be quietly happy with their display.

On a perfect day for football, the winners led by 0-10 to 0-7 at half time. They were 0-6 to 0-2 up after fifteen minutes but three Mark Troy frees and a Brian Duignan point left them 0-7 to 0-6 behind after 26 minutes. The outstanding Chris Kenny got a two pointer as Ballycommon grabbed that three point half time lead though Brian Duignan's closing point for Durrow could very easily have been a goal.

Ballycommon opened a decisive six point gap with quick second half points from Stephen Conneely, David Dempsey and Brian Todd and never looked like losing from here. They were 0-16 to 0-9 ahead after 41 minutes, 0-18 to 0-10 clear when Brian Duinan got Durrow's goal in the 51st minute.

The gap was big enough not to cause any anxiety for Ballycommon and they closed out the deal convincingly. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if Kinnarney and Troy had converted their goal chances. The impression remains that Ballycommon would have found a way to win it but they lost late leads in their draws with Clonbullogue and Clara and could possibly have blown it again, but they were the better team on the day and the win sets them up for a big clash against Bracknagh.

MATCH ANALYSIS

READ NEXT: Clara get away for crucial win over struggling Clonbullogue

MAN OF THE MATCH

Brian Todd (Ballycommon): Ballycommon had three standout contenders in Chris Kenny, Tom Mealiffe and Brian Todd. Kenny was the best forward on the field, scoring 0-6, including two two pointers and he oozed quality – he also missed a couple of second half two point shots that were in range. Tom Mealiffe had a super game at midfield and with strong support from an improving Paul Conway, they took the midfield honours.

Brian Todd gets the vote. Three points was a huge contribution from wing back while his ball carrying and overall defensive play caught the eye. He handled a lot of ball and you wouldn't need one hand to count his mistakes. Sean Conway also had an excellent game in the Ballycommon attack, Stephen Conneely went well as usual and David Dempsey anchored the whole team with unspectacular efficiency and consistency.

County hurler, Brian Duignan was Durrow's best player and 1-5 from play was a huge haul on a day when they were often on the back foot. Jack O'Brien and Mark Troy had good moments for Durrow but they just can't afford the absence of players like Kevin McDermott and Dan Bourke.

THE SCORERS

Ballycommon: Chris Kenny 0-6 (2 x 2p), Brian Todd, Tom Mealiffe (1 x 2p), Sean Conway and Stephen Conneely 0-3 each, Paul Comway 0-2, David Dempsey 0-1.

Durrow: Brian Duignan 1-5, Mark Troy 0-4 (3f), Aaron Maher, Joe Maher and Cian Kinnarney 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

BALLYCOMMON: Robert Conneely; Zach Wright, Aidan Bracken, Killian Owens; Brian Todd, David Dempsey, Jack Kenny; Tom Mealiffe, Paul Conway; Stephen Conneely, Chris Kenny, Karl Dunne; Sean Conway, Gareth Mann, Michael Conneely. Subs – Conor Dunne for Mann (HT), Daniel Scally for Michael Conneely (58m), Ryan Kenny for Sean Conway (61m), Matthew Dempsey for Chris Kenny (61m).

DURROW: Shane McDermott; Sean Hughes, Oisin Cusack, Michael McDermott; Gavin Hand, Ciaran Burke, Jack O'Brien; Sam Bourke, Ross Ravenhill; Brian Duignan, Aaron Maher, Joe Maher; Mark Troy, Andrew Fitzgerald, Steven Doran. Subs – Jack Fogarty for Fitzgerald (HT), Cian Kinnarney for Hughes (39m), Colin Waters for Shane McDermott, inj. (45m), Luke O'Dea for Joe Maher (55m), Niall McDermott for Hand (60m).

Referee – Adam Kinahan, Clodiagh Gaels.

REFEREE WATCH

Adam Kinahan handled it well. He was fair, let the game run and applied the rules consistently.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Tom Mealiffe kicked a great two pointer in the 36th minute. He had a look at the arc, made sure to stay outside of it and that score put Ballycommon 0-15 to 0-8 ahead. That was always going to be a winning lead in this game.

VENUE WATCH

St Brigid's GAA Club had plenty of stewards in Croghan and managed the fixture well. Therre was a lot of messing with this fixture as it was originally fixed for Daingean and then moved to Geashill before ending up in Croghan – Raheen took it out of Geashill following the death of local curate, Msgr Tom Coonan. Raheen could have got into local bother if the fixture was left stand before the burial took place but there have been a couple of senior football venues changed this year and you would wonder at that.

It was originally fixed for 2pm and then changed to 12 noon while O'Connor Park in Tullamore may have been a suitable venue for this – irrespective of the pitch not being in prime condition at the moment, it could have hosted a double bill with Cappincur and Tubber, who played there in senior “B” on Sunday.

It all had a negative effect on the crowd – two Durrow supporters missed all the changes and arrived for a 2.30pm throw in!! - but top marks to St Brigid's who made their facilities available and had everything in great order.

WHAT'S NEXT

Durrow travel to Clonbullogue while Ballycommon meet Bracknagh in round 4.

STATISTICS

Wides: Durrow - 2 (0 in first half); Ballycommon – 9 (4 in first half).

Yellow cards: Ballycommon – 1 (Michael Conneely); Durrow – 1 (Ciaran Burke).

Black cards: 0

Red cards: 0