Senior Football ACFL II

Ballyholland 1.10  -  0.9 Annaclone

20th Apr 2007

In a match that had a real division one feel about it, an even enough first half gave way to a second half when Ballyholland were very much on their game, and had just a bit too much for Annaclone.

It truly was stirring stuff from the Harps in that second half. Almost impenetrable in defence, athletic and willing at midfield, and unusually direct up front, the efforts of their team had the home crowd purring with delight.

The first 30 minutes weren’t quite so good, but defensive resilience meant they got away with only a light punishment.

Harps did start brightly. A patient build-up led to James Patterson opening the scoring after just a few minutes, and Ronan Murtagh doubled Ballyholland’s tally with a free just a couple of minutes later.

But throughout the rest of the half, Annaclone dominated the midfield battle through Brendan McArdle in the air and Collie Farrell on the ground, and therefore dominated possession. It wasn’t backs to the wall stuff, but the visitors certainly looked the more potent.

By the quarter-hour mark, they had crept in front, with scores from Colm Fegan, Collie Farrell and Peter McColgan.

The first two of those were effectively gift-wrapped by the Ballyholland backline. But as the game progressed, mistakes like that got fewer and fewer.

Yet that defence was under a fair bit of pressure, such was Farrell’s adeptness at winning first phase possession for his side. Joe Murphy in particular has his hands full, with the visitors trying to bring Martin Farrell into play whenever they could. And as we approached halftime, the ‘Clone had pushed into a lead of 3 points, frees from Colm and Gerard Fegan, followed by a well-worked score from Colm Fegan.

Ronan Murtagh’s late free was therefore crucial. It meant Ballyholland entered the interval just two points down despite not counting for much of what had gone before.

After the break was a different story.

The positional switch of Murtagh with Robbie Quinn helped, both in terms of breaking ball and scoring potential, as did the introductions of Mattie Shields and Collie Barry. But it was the difference in attitude that really counted. For the next 30 minutes, Ballyholland played relentless, uncompromising, direct football.

Within two minutes they were back on level terms, with Murtagh making the most out a couple of early balls in. He was soon joined in the square by an extra marker, but it made no difference to Murtagh, who somehow won a ball between his two guards and dinked the ball over the bar.


The crucial score, Mattie Shields’s goal, arrived about 10 minutes in. Collie Barry won a break which set the attack in motion, and Murtagh played a part, but Robbie Quinn was the real architect, playing a couple of one-twos before laying off for Shields to finish calmly.

Around the field, Ballyholland players were now dominating their opponents. Joe Murphy, Damien Campbell and in particular Paddy McAnulty, were nothing short of outstanding. The midfield duo of Patterson and Pail Murphy raised the bar and McArdle’s influence on proceedings suddenly waned.

So although Colm Fegan notched the next score, Ballyholland extended their lead through two long-range efforts from Patterson and Murtagh.

This took us into the final ten minutes, and the Harps were only a composed closing stage away from victory. This was duly delivered, and the only threat Annaclone appeared to offer was from place kicks.

Both Fegans found their range from frees to keep their team in the hunt, but the game ended with the best score of the night, a monstrous effort from way out on the touchline by James Patterson.

It was a fitting way to end one of the better halves of football we’ve seen at Fr Lynch Park in recent years.

Player of the Match: Paddy McAnulty

Ballyholland Team: K Murphy; J Murphy, D Campbell, C Murtagh, P McAnulty, D McCrink, E Campbell; J Patterson (0-3), P Murphy (0-1); T Havern, R Murtagh (0-6, 3f), P McKernan; R Quinn, C Sands, A McAteer. Subs used: C Barry, M Shields (1-0), A Haughey.

Opponents Team: B McGivern; C McConville, G McArdle, N Higgins, E McGivern, P McColgan (0-1), T Pyers; B McArdle, M McAleenan; C Fegan (0-5, 3f), C Farrell (0-1), G Byrne; P Byrne, G Fegan (0-2f), M Farrell.

Referee: Seamus O'Hanlon

Match Report by: Anthony

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