Second half goals prove crucial as Ballyfin get the better of Ballinakill

Three second-half goals turned the tie in Ballyfin’s favour as they outgunned the home side, Ballinakill, to run out seven point victors in an entertaining game this evening.

Ballyfin 4 - 14

Ballinakill 1 - 16

Laois Shopping Centre ACHL Division 1A

The sides were evenly matched after the opening twenty minutes with just Eddie Dwyer’s goal on the quarter of an hour mark separating the teams.

Ballyfin rallied before the break to see George Lanham lift a green flag four minutes before the break, but Ballinakill went in two points ahead thanks to points from Gearoid Lynch and Eamon Jackman on a scoreline of 1-9 to 1-7.

The second half continued much as the first with little between the teams, both firing five points each in the fifteen minutes after the restart with Jackman (3) and Gareth Dunphy (2) leading their respective lines.

The games was turned on its head heading into the final quarter, Gary Hoffmeister squaring the ball to George Lanham who made no mistake with the finish. Points followed from Dunphy, but then a further two goals arrived.

Eanna Lyons darted through the Ballinakill defence with a great run before rattling the net. Gareth Dunphy grabbed their fourth and final goal on the stroke of full-time with a marauding forty-metre run followed by a low-finish as Ballyfin finished the stronger to move top of the table.

BALLYFIN

Scorers: Gareth Dunphy 1-10 (0-9 frees), Eanna Lyons 2-2, George Lanham 1-0, Gary Hoffmeister and David Connolly 0-1 each.

Team: Eamon Duff; Brendan O'Neill, Richard Downey, Louis Duff; Max Connolly, Alan Connolly, Sean O'Neill; Adam Walsh, David Connolly; Gary Hoffmeister, Eanna Lyons, Kevin O'Rourke; George Lanham, Gareth Dunphy, Shane Conroy.

BALLINAKILL

Scorers: Eamon Jackman 0-11 (0-8 frees), Eddie Dwyer 1-0, Michael Jackman, Gearoid Lynch, Sean Downey, Cha Dwyer and Aaron Walsh 0-1 each.

Team: Paul Simms; Darragh Dorman, Brian O'Meara, Eoin Simms; Dylan Byrne Gray, Sean Downey, Shane McEvoy; Dan Bergin, Cha Dwyer; Gearoid Lynch, Eamon Jackman, Seamus Fitzpatrick; Eddie Dwyer, Michael Jackman, Conor Delaney. Subs: MJ Dunphy for Dan Bergin (36 mins), Cathal McGuire for Conor Delaney (41 mins), Aaron Walsh for Michael Jackman (52 mins).

REFEREE: Padraig Dunne