Arklow Gerlandines Ballymoney
1-12
Baltinglass 2-9
Anyone that was in attendance in Pearse Park
last Sunday got to witness a great top
of the table clash between two sides wanting to gain a foothold at the top of
the league table.
Baltinglass started off the
game very quickly. From the opening they got the ball into the forward line
before corner forward Adam McHugh managed to hit the opening point of the
match. In response, AGB hit 2 quick frees the first a well-taken strike from the
ground from the left foot of wing forward Darragh Culleton before full forward JP
Hurley slotted a 21 yard free. Baltinglass then leveled the game through a
long-range free from goalkeeper Mark Jackson. Hurley responded with another
free for AGB before Baltinglass went on the offensive scoring 1-2 without
reply. The first of these foray of scores coming from the boot of Christopher
Heaslip before McHugh hit another fine point from play. Baltinglass then hit a
fine goal on the counter-attack when Healy got his hands on the ball and coolly
slotted the ball into the bottom corner of the net. With the game edging
towards the half time whistle AGB hit two quick-fire points before the break
the first coming from Hurley again this time from play before center back
Andrew Maher fired a free over the bar. Leaving two points between the teams at
the break.
The 2nd half
started off much like the first with Baltinglass hitting the opening score
again this coming from towering midfielder Jordan Deans. Yet again AGB hit two
quick points in reply. The first coming from a free which the boot of Hurley
slotted over again before AGB corner forward Philp Healy fired over an
outrageous score from out near the sideline. Both sides then traded goals.
Baltinglass hitting the net first with the goal coming through wing back Pat
Burke who managed to break through the AGB defense before firing the ball into
the net. AGB hit back with a goal nearly straight away after
some great tackling by the forward's corner-forward Philp Healy managed to get a
fist on the ball just ahead of the onrushing keeper. Both players were injured
in the play which would have repercussions at the end of the game. After that
goal, AGB started to express themselves hitting three points in row two of
these coming from the boot of Hurley again. The first from a placed ball before
hitting another from play. Wing back Karl Kirwan got his name on the score
sheet with a fine score from the 45-yard line. Baltinglass fired over a score
in response from wing forward Cian Lee. AGB hit two more dead balls over the
bar coming from the aforementioned Hurley and Maher. This gave AGB a three-point lead heading towards the final whistle.
Baltinglass now needed too on the offensive after winning a free in
added time they slotted it over instead of going for the jugular. Substitute Johnny Keogh then managed to fire
over another score. With nearly seven minutes of added time up Baltinglass won
a free on the 45-yard line which goalkeeper Mark Jackson duly converted to
leave the game level.
AGB Mervyn Travers; Tadhg O
Callaghan, Jim Tyrell, Jack Hamilton; Karl Kirwan, Andy Maher, Ciaran O Shea
; Stephen Hurley, Chris O Brien; Darragh Culleton, Philp Gleeson, Darragh
Fitzgerald; Philp Healy, JP Hurley, Cormac O Shea
Scorers JP Hurley (0-7 4fs
3p) Philp Healy (1-1) Andy Maher (0-2fs) Darragh Culleton (0-1f) Karl Kirwan
(0-1)
Subs used; Daire McBride for
Darragh Culleton
Baltinglass Mark Jackson,
Paddy Kirwan, Tom Burke, Stephen Heaslip, Pat Burke Kevin Murphy, Billy Murphy,
Mikey English, Jordon Deans; Christopher Heaslip, Peader Burke, Cian Lee ;
Christopher Grimes, Sean O Brien, Adam McHugh
Scorers; Adam McHugh (0-3)
Mark Jackson (0-2) Christopher Heaslip (1-1)
Jordan Deans (0-1) Pat Burke(1-0) Cian Lee (0-1) Johnny Keogh (0-1)
