Shamrocks see off Ballyvarley

Newry Shamrocks 2-16

INJURIES to two key players and the red card dismissal of another were the key features of this spirited display from Ballyvarley that saw a strong Shamrocks side slip out with all the spoils from a very entertaining and competitive division one game.

Fortune deserted Ballyvarley just when they looked to be in top form against visiting Newry Shamrocks but the loss of South Down players James McGrath and Paul O’Neill through injury and the harsh dismissal of full back Eunan McConville proved too big a handicap for spirit alone to overcome.

The reds were flying in the opening period with Paul O’Neill and Jamie Murray firing them into a two point lead but then came the hand injury to top marksman, Paul O’Neill, and Ballyvarley gradually lost much of their attacking strength.

Eoin Magennis and Ronan Sheehan equalised for Shamrocks but Paul O’Neill struggled on and managed to off-load the ball to Niall Savage who shot over a classy point.

Jamie Murray then placed Colm O’Neill for another great point before Shamrocks levelled the match again through Ronan and Paul Sheehan.

Four more points from Paul O’Neill, two from play, kept Ballyvarley neck and neck with the visitors and when Colm O’Neill took over the free-taking duties he was able to keep the scoring tally moving along as the Reds kept the edge over the visitors.

By this stage James McGrath was pulling all the strings at centre half back and his forced retirement from the game, in the closing stages of the half, was a further major blow that the Reds struggled manfully to come to terms with.

Further points from Magennis and the Sheehans gave Shamrocks further impetus and by half time they had leap-frogged into a narrow one point lead.

Two early points from Shamrocks were wiped out by similar scores from Paul O’Neill and a free from Colm O’Neill but then came the shock dismissal of Eunan McConville and the eventual retirement of Paul O’Neill and the Reds were up against it.

Shamrocks were quick to make their numerical advantage count and two quick-fire goals from Magennis and Cribben opened up a nine point gap and the Reds looked to be on course for a bit of a hiding.

But the collapse never came as the Reds, inspired by inspirational performances from Colm O’Neill and Sean Kennedy battled as a team and took the game to the visitors in the closing stages, matching them score for score, so that, in the end it was almost a moral victory for this injury-ravaged side.

Team: Cathal O’Neill; Stephen Daly, Niall Higgins, Eunan McConville; Conor McClorey, James McGrath, Sean Kennedy (0-1); Colm O’Neill (0-5), Colin O’Neill; Paul O’Neill (0-6), Niall Savage (0-1), Tony Hegarty; Thomas Lennon, Jamie Murray (0-1), Leigh McConville. Subs: Martin Connolly, Peter McConville, Stuart Cartmill, James McConville, Gavin McGreevey.