Ballinasloe 11 OLBC 21 Ballinasloe opened their promotion to the J1A league with a spirited performance against OLBC at Graigueawoneen on Sunday and were unfortunate to lose out by 10pts at the finish on the score line of 21pts to 11. They started off in a confident mood and had the better of the early exchanges to lead by 11pts to nil at half time. However, Boy’s Club are an experienced outfit and wore down their lighter opponents as the second half progressed. They deserved their win but a 10pts victory was somewhat flattering to them. The hosts opened the scoring after 16mins when Keelan O’Neill stroked over a penalty from thirty metres .They went in for the first try of the afternoon in the 23rd minute. First Aidan Doorley robbed an opponents line out on half way leading to John Hayes’s drive up the left wing to set up a run in and touch down for Conal Gormley. The conversion was missed. The hard working Hayes was unceremoniously dumped on his head in a nasty tackle after 30mins and had to depart the scene. The perpetrator was very lucky only to be yellow carded; a red would not have been unjust in the circumstances. O’Neill added his second penalty after 33mins when the visitors were penalised for pulling down a maul. As the half time whistle sounded, one wondered if 11pts would be enough to see the home side through especially as OLBC would have the benefit of a fresh breeze blowing from the road end of the ground on the turnover. The locals were still defiant in the early exchanges of the second period but the city side began to dominate territory and possession as the action moved on. It did not help Ballinasloe’s cause that John Hayes’s replacement, Cillian Headd, also had to retire shortly after his arrival. The visitors struck for two tries in the 60th and 72nd minute. First Conor Mulligan charged over after receiving a pass short of the Ballinasloe line and Donnacha Carey scored the second in a similar fashion. David Prior converted both. In between times the visitors had a second yellow card waved against them for a late tackle on Matthew Tierney as he cleared his lines. And still the locals were brave as they battled for a bonus point. OLBC were turning up the heat but Ballinasloe had no notion of leaving the kitchen. Just as the vanquished thought that they had that losing bonus point in the bag, David Prior broke through from midfield to snatch a last second try, which he also converted, to break the home side’s heart. They deserved something from a worthy performance. BALLINASLOE: M.Tierney, Cian Loughrey, L.Feerick, R.Cullinane, C.Gormley, K.O’Neill, Conor Loughrey, J.J.Carey, A.O’Hara(capt), K.Gavin, N.Staunton, H.Reynolds, R.Wakefield, J.Hayes, A.Doorley. Replacements: T.Dolan(used), C.Headd(used), A.McGrath(used), D.Burke(used), R.Doolan. Liam Courtney(Club PRO).
Posted on: Wed, 04 Sep 2013 09:48:00 +0000
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