Ballina outplayed by strong Mullinahone

GAA: FBD Insurance County Intermediate Football Championship Group 2 Round 2

Mullinahone 2-10

Ballina 1-8

Report: Thomas Conway in Templetuohy

There were mirages in the distance last Saturday evening in Templetuohy, but Mullinahone paid little heed, outplaying Ballina for long periods and emerging from this fixture as deserved victors, their cause advanced by two crucial first-half goals.

They had built up a six-point cushion by half-time, enough to ensure that the second-half was just a matter of sitting back and absorbing waves of Ballina pressure. And absorb it they did.

The North outfit threatened in the second period, but never really executed. Finding a way through the Mullinahone wall proved nigh on impossible. The odd time they did manage to penetrate, errant shooting cost them dearly.

Given the conditions, perhaps it was understandable that this game took fifteen minutes to ignite. A lethargic first quarter eventually gave way to a prolonged spell of Mullinahone dominance, in which the south club swept Ballina aside with the two goals which would ultimately set them on course for victory.

The first came from the penalty spot, Kevin Walzer caressing the ball mid-height into the corner, a well-struck and brilliantly placed kick, everything that a penalty should be.

Mullinahone and Walzer would soon have a second, the South side dismantling Ballina with a series of runs and handpasses before the dainty corner-forward charged through a gap and laced the ball low past Brady and into the net.

Their 2-6 to 0-3 lead at the interval was indicative of their dominance - Mullinahone controlled possession for the vast majority of the half, only allowing Ballina forward in sporadic counter-attacks which did produce three points but frequently broke down on the edge of the scoring zone.

The North side were always going to spring some kind of resistance after the interval and they started in impressive fashion, midfielder Ben King curling over a sublime roundhouse with the left. It was arguably the score of the evening, and it seemed to inspire Ballina somewhat.

They were more forceful going forward, knitting together handpasses and making some inroads through the Mullinahone defence, but not enough. The points they kicked were praiseworthy - Jack O’Mahoney knocking over from the right, Eoghan Power slotting twice in quick succession, first from a free and then from open play.

Mullinahone however, were ruthlessly efficient. They seemed content to sit back and park the bus for much of the second-half, but when on occasion they did break up the field, the attack invariably resulted in a score. Eoin Fennelly kicked the last point of the game on 51 minutes, by which time the show was effectively over. The South side had their work done, and Ballina could do little but search for consolation scores.

Realistically, a competitive intermediate or senior football side needs to be registering somewhere in the region of fifteen aggregate points per game if it wants to seriously challenge for silverware. Mullinahone met that threshold on Saturday. Ballina didn’t. The North side learned that those boys down South really do know how to play football, even when the heat is greatest.

Player of the Match: Kevin Walzer (Mullinahone)

Mullinahone: Graham Horan (7), Michael Cody (7), Cillian White (7), Daire O’Brien (7), Colin Shelly (7), Seán Curran (0-2, 1 45) 8), Conor O’Brien (7), Martin Kehoe (0-1, 8), Enda Keane (7), Jack Shelly (0-1, 7), Mikey O’Shea (0-3, 1f) 8), Danny Dunne (7), Kevin Walzer (2-2, 0-1f) 8), Eoin O’Dwyer (7), Rian O’Halloran (7).

Subs: Micheál Dunne (0-1, 7) for Keane (45); Éanna Ryan (6) for O’Dwyer (45).

Ballina: Jack Brady (7), Terry O’Halloran (7), Josh Egan (6), Dara King (6), James Hanley (6), Tom Lee (6), Patrick O’Donovan (0-1, 6), Michael Breen (7), Ben King (0-2, 1f) 7), Teddy Doyle (0-1, 7), David Grace (6), Eoghan Power (0-2, 1f) 7), Eoghan Dalton (6), Jack O’Mahoney (0-2, 7), Conor Power (6).

Subs: David Kelly (6) for Dara King (30+2); Cathal O’Donnell (6) for Lee (52); Matthew Power (6) for O’Mahoney (57).

Referee: Seán Everard (Moyne-Templetuohy)