Impressive Ballinagar cruise into final with Tubber failing to ask big questions

THERE was a complete air of inevitability about the way Ballinagar cruised into their second successive Offaly Senior “B” Football Championship with a very easy, routine win over a stricken Tubber team in O'Connor Park on Saturday.

Tullamore Court Hotel Senior “B” Football Championship semi-final

Ballinagar 2-22

Tubber 0-14

Tubber had done exceptionally well to turn their season around and make the semi-finals after an awful start but the suspicion that Ballinagar would be a bridge too far for them proved to be very well founded in a very one sided semi-final.

Ballinagar only needed to hit the high gears in fits and starts but they were in control from start to finish and their final place against Tullamore was secured early.

Beaten by Clara in last year's final, Offaly's most improved club football team are clearly in a good place and getting stronger. They are more or less at full strength now with defender Diarmuid Finneran making his first appearance of the season as a second half sub, after being abroad up to recently.

They had a very strong bench here, leaving off automatic starters, when fit, in twins Adam and Ryan Strong and Conor Bracken but throwing them on during the second half to hammer the final nails in to Tubber's coffin. Ryan Strong got two points, Bracken their second goal and the difference in strength on the benches won't have been lost on Tubber.

At the same time that Ballinagar brought on two players not even in their prime yet in Conor Bracken and Adam Strong in the 40th minute, Tubber were bringing on 50 year old former county stalwart Ciaran McManus and there was no way he could be expected to salvage this one.

It wasn't a perfect performance by Ballinagar but they were impressive and have a very good chance of going senior for the first time since the 1890s – though Tullamore won't be one bit afraid of them and are more than capable of beating them.

Playing with the wind in the first half, Ballinagar made a sluggish start and trailed by 0-3 to 0-1 after seven minutes. They got going after this and with the outstanding Jacob Beatty kicking four lovely points, Ballinagar had ten points on the board before Tubber got their fourth in the 21st minute.

At half time, Ballinagar's lead was 0-15 to 0-4 and the only niggling doubt was that they hadn't fully killed them off with a goal. They had their chances with Jacob Beatty hitting the cross bar from point blank range and the excellent Robbie Gallagher miscueing from close range in the 27th minute.

Their 11 point lead became 12 with Oisinne Troy's great point early in the second half but Ballinagar lost their way for a few minutes after this. Gallagher missed a couple of chances and the winners became ragged out the field. They were overturned a few times, conceded silly frees for two point kicks that Bernard Allen and Conor Fox converted, though the second one, awarded for a foul by Declan Crombie, was soft.

Conor Fox also got an excellent two pointer from play but Tubber had one massive problem, the deficit was still six points and their energy levels were draining all over the field.

The impressive Morgan Tynan settled Ballinagar with a 41st minute point, Gallagher fisted one over and then set up Tynan for a super 44th minute goal. That gave Ballinagar a 1-18 to 0-10 lead and it was all over.

Conor Bracken tapped home their second goal in the 50th minute after a move involving Ryan Strong and Robbie Gallagher and the closing ten minutes were a non event with both sides emptying their bench. Ciaran McGuinness, who had spent 10 minutes in the sin bin after getting a black card just before half time, almost got two Tubber goals. He hit the cross bar in the 52nd minute and drew a fine save from Ryan Kinahan a minute later but they would only have been consolation goals and Ballinagar were in no danger whatsoever late on.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Robbie Gallagher (Ballinagar): Jacob Beatty started off like a train for Ballinagar with four early points – man of the match in the junior final win that kick-started their great era in 2022, Beatty is clearly an O'Connor Park player. He missed last year through injury but his influence dwindled after that early tour-de-force.

Jack Gorry had another great game in the Ballinagar defence while Adam Joyce and Morgan Tynan were outstanding out the field. The selection, however, is Ballinagar's most important player, Robbie Gallagher. He has really stamped his influence on this championship and it was the same with this game. While he got limited opportunities with Offaly this year, he has clearly benefitted from that training and he impressed the whole way here. His work ethic remained high when the ball wasn't running for him in the first half, he got important scores and had several scoring assists, including a big hand in both goals.

THE SCORERS

Ballinagar: Morgan Tynan 1-5 (3f), Robbie Gallagher 0-6 (1f and 1 '45'), Jacob Beatty 0-4, Conor Bracken 1-0, Adam Joyce, Brian Malone (2p) and Ryan Strong 0-2 each, Oissinne Troy 0-1.

Tubber: Bernard Allen 0-7 (1 x 2pf, 4f), Conor Fox 0-4 (1 x 2pf, 1 x 2p), Ciaran McGuinness 0-2 (2p), Patrick Farrell 0-1.

THE TEAMS

BALLINAGAR: Ryan Kinahan; Kevin Beirne, Declan Crombie, Oissinne Troy; Jack Gorry, Brian Malone, Adam Joyce; Aaron Gorman, Alex Cuddy; Adam Mangan, Morgan Tynan, Jack Sheil; Jacob Beatty, Jamie Ballesty, Robbie Gallagher. Subs – Conor Bracken for Sheil (40m), Adam Strong for Ballesty (40m), Diarmuid Finneran for Beirne (44m), Ryan Strong for Cuddy (49m), David McElduff for Mangan (57m).

TUBBER: James Langan; Nigel Farrell, Ciaran Allen, Enda McLoughlin; Hugh Murphy, Sean Farrell, Patrick Farrell; Lee Colgan, Adam Fox; Eoin Murphy, Conor Fox, Ciaran McGuinness; Bernard Allen, Eddie Kavanagh, Ronan Farrell. Subs – Ciaran Kinahan for Patrick Farrell (36m), David Fallon for Nigel Farrell (37m), Ciaran McManus for Kavanagh (40m), Brian Kelly for Colgan (53m), Ciaran Murphy for Adam Fox (59m).

Referee – Fergal Smyth, Kilclonfert.

REFEREE WATCH

Fergal Smyth very much adapted a let it run policy but applied it consistently. Frees were hard earned but players soon learned that and played accordingly. The Kilclonfert man had a good game.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Ballinagar would have won anyway but there first goal in the 44th minute was a big highlight. Robbie Gallagher's pass in over the top showed great intuition, Morgan Tynan's finish was out of the top draw and with a 1-18 to 0-10 deficit, there was no way back for Tubber.

VENUE WATCH

O'Connor Park was the right venue for the senior B semi-final double bill and both clubs were delighted to play there. The County Board hosted it very professionally.

WHAT'S NEXT

Ballinagar go into the final against Tullamore.

STATISTICS

Wides: Ballinagar - 8 (3 in first half); Tubber – 3 (1 in first half).

Yellow cards: Ballinagar – 2 (Brian Malone, Conor Bracken); Tubber – 1 (Sean Farrell);

Black cards: Tubber – 1 (Ciaran McGuinness); Ballinagar - 0

Red cards: 0