Ballina’s Under 19’s complete Football 5-in-a-row

GAA: North Tipperary Under 19 ‘A’ Football Final

Ballina 4-10

Moneygall/Clonakenny 1-7

Report: Liam Hogan in Puckane

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Jack Grace (Ballina)

SCORERS - Ballina: Jack Grace 0-4 (2 frees); JP Mbokha 1-1; Tristan Giroudiere, Simon Grace, Jack Quinn 1-0 each; Jack Collins 0-2; Zac Egan, Charlie King, Brian Burke 0-1 each.

Moneygall/Clonakenny: Tadhg Whyte 1-5 (0-3 frees); Cameron Fleming (free), James Carroll 0-1 each.

Ballina made history by claiming their third North Tipperary Under 19 ‘A’ Football title in a row when they defeated a game Moneygall/Clonakenny side in the final on Bank Holiday Monday evening.

The holders led from start to finish having been nine points in front at half time. They were always the masters and with their enterprising play, which was sometimes overdone, they were caught out at times as Moneygall/Clonakenny missed three goal chances in first half. The same could be said about Ballina in the second half and after their lead was cut to five, they stepped up in the last quarter and two injury time goals to put a greater shine on the final outcome for them.

Ballina had nine different players on the scoresheet, including 1-2 from their defence where Zac Egan and Charlie King were in command of a very busy set of defenders who popped up all over the field. In fact, they were on the scoreboard after just 27 seconds when Jack Collins pointed.

Both sides indulged in various sequences of passing moves, but Ballina looked the more dangerous and it was the seventh minute before Simon Grace scored a goal before Jack Grace increased their lead to five. Meanwhile, Moneygall/Clonakenny responded when James Carroll opened their account before Jack Grace restored Ballina’s advantage.

Moneygall/Clonakenny were not shy in creating chances either and in one of the promising moves they should have scored a goal, but Ballina keeper Conor Shanahan denied Shay Gleeson with a wonderful save in the eleventh minute.

The escape stirred Ballina into action, and they increased their lead, firstly through Charlie King before the ever present JP Mbokha goaled in the fourteenth minute and quickly followed up with a point by the same player seconds later.

Moneygall/Clonakenny hit back with another chance of a goal in the sixteenth minute but Cian Ryan’s effort from close range went narrowly past the post and wide.

Both sides continued to create chances, but the game had to wait until the 23rd minute before Tadgh Whyte pointed a free. A quick response from Jack Grace had Ballina nine in front again but in the closing minutes, Cameron Fleming’s score was quickly matched by one from Brian Burke which saw the half-time scoreline read Ballina 2-6 Moneygall/Clonakenny 0-3.

Ballina continued to create chances in the early stages of the second half but carelessness in front of goal cost them as they kicked four wides in a row. Moneygall/Clonakenny keeper David Tuohy denied them also when he went low to save at expense of a 45. That resulting 45 was directed to an unmarked Ballina player and after a number of swift handpasses, Jack Collins pointed in the 35th minute.

In fairness, the Moneygall/Clonakenny defence deserve credit for their work-rate in keeping the margin the same with David Madden, Michael Whyte, Cormac Hoolan, Adam O’Brien, and Kevin McCormack refusing to give up. Up front, they began to create more positive phases of play and it paid off with two pointed frees from the boot of Tadgh Whyte by the 41st minute.

Ballina hit back with a Jack Grace free, but Tadgh Whyte responded with a point from play in the 47th minute. One minute later, he was at the end of a good move and Cian Ryan’s quick lay off put Whyte on his way to score a goal. A comeback looked a possibility.

Not for one minute judging by the Ballina response, which if anything increased in tempo. Jack Collins covered every inch of ground and in the 51st minute he was almost through for Ballina’s third goal, but his effort whizzed past post.

By now, any Ballina player could have scored, and full back Zac Egan obliged from twenty metres. Another Tadgh Whyte free gave Moneygall/Clonakenny comfort but Ballina finished in a whirlwind fashion and after Jack Grace scored his second free and his fourth point in total, they went for more in added time with Jack Quinn and Cillian Ryan scoring a goal each to secure their fifth title in a row.

TEAMS - Ballina: Conor Shanahan; Cillian Ryan, Zac Egan, Tristan Giroudiere; Billy Collins, Charlie King, Cian Molloy; JP Mbokha, Paddy Bradley; Simon Grace, Jack Grace, Brian Burke; Charlie Grace, Jack Collins, Cian O’Donoghue.

Subs: Jack Quinn for S Grace (38); Tadgh Shanahan for O’Donoghue (47); Paul McKeogh for Collins (60); Ronan Coughlan for Bradley (60); Luke Power for Burke (60).

Moneygall/Clonakenny: David Tuohy; David Madden (Ck), Michael Whyte, Thomas Sheedy; Cormac Hoolan, Kevin McCormack, Adam O’Brien; Cameron Fleming, Andy Hoolan; Oisin O’Dwyer (Ck), Shay Gleeson, Cian Ryan; Tadhg Whyte, James Carroll, Dylan McCormack.

Subs: Cormac Murray for M Whyte (48); Cillian Touhy for Sheedy (48).

Referee: Pat O’Mahony (Kiladangan).