Ballinastragh boosted by brace of late goals
BALLINASTRAGH GAELS 5-7 BALLYHOGUE 2-12
TWO GOALS inside the last five minutes, one from play and the other from a penalty, helped to bring Ballinastragh Gaels from four points behind to four in front at the final whistle when on their home ground against a hard-trying and unlucky Ballyhogue in Sunday's O'loughlin Cup quarter-final.
The lead changed hands a few times in this well-contested game, with the extra goalscoring power of the winners making all the difference in the end.
By half-time the Kilanerin/tara Rocks combination had already accounted for three of those goals as they led by a two-point margin (3-3 to 1-7).
They were struggling to keep in touch until Emmet O'toole scored the first goal, and just before half-time Seán Mulligan and Paddy Carton had also found the net.
Shane Doyle was scorer-in-chief for Ballyhogue with a total of 1-5. David Doyle was their other goalscorer and, with impressive midfielder Syl Byrne, Declan Byrne, Shane Jordan and Noel Roche also hitting the target, it looked for much of the game as if they were about to get a morale-booster of a win.
Neal Hughes scored the late Ballinastragh goal from play and this was quickly followed by the penalty which was expertly put away by top scorer Seán Mulligan whose total amounted to 2-5.
Ballinastragh Gaels: Collie Doran; Aaron Murphy, James Dixon, Thomas Carroll; Gavin Kinsella, P.J. Sheehan, Cathal Byrne; Neal Hughes (1-0), Seán Mulligan (2-5, 0-4 frees, 10 pen.); Paddy Carton (1-0), Conor Byrne (01), Reece Owley; Conor Jennings, Emmet O'toole (1-1), Aaron Kinsella. Subs. - Michael Browne for Carroll, Dylan Marshall for Jennings.
Ballyhogue: Enda Byrne; Fionn Rochford, John Kehoe, Cian Rodgers; Peter Doyle, Michael Long, Conor Long; Syl Byrne (0-3), Conor Byrne; Declan Power (0-1), Shane Jordan (0-1), Dylan Dalton (0-1); Shane Doyle (15, 0-3 free), David Byrne (1-0), Noel Roche (01). Subs. - Michael Carberry, Joseph Byrne, Dean Power.
Referee: John Carton (MonageerBoolavogue).
