Ballyduff pip Mullane driven De La Salle
Mullane did all that any one player could be expected to do to garner victory for his side, but it was Ballyduff who shaded a real thriller which neither team really deserved to lose. There’s still the cushion of the losers group for De La Salle, but they’ll be bitterly disappointed at letting this one slip.
Starved of possession for lengthy periods, Mullane was on fire whenever he touched the ball, and his 1-4 contribution from play mirrors his hugely influential impact on the game. Ballyduff however were less reliant on individual brilliance, and it was they who finished the stronger in a tension charged climax to a very exciting contest.
An early exchange of quality points between the outstanding Jack Kennedy and Mullane set the scene for the rip roaring fare that followed.
Ballyduff’s goal came as early as the 10th minute, and a real beauty it was too with midfielder Pat Matthews clinically finishing Richard Barron’s cross from close range.
Stephen Kelly, who substituted for the injured county goalkeeper Stephen Brenner, had no chance of keeping it out and proved a very able deputy for Brenner with several smart saves.
It was fitting that Matthews should be the goal-scorer because the midfielder was one of the most industrious players on view and was arguably his side’s man of the match.
The ploy of playing Niall Power as a third midfielder also worked well for Ballyduff and they were thoroughly deserving of their 1-7 to 0-8 interval advantage.
They extended that lead with a Conor Kenny point from a “65’’ within five minutes of the restart, but it was all square inside another three when Derek McGrath, James Quirke (free), and Padraig Nevin all found the range for De La Salle.
The switch of Brian Phelan from centre back to midfield began to pay off for them and the battle was well and truly joined as Brian Power edged Ballyduff back in front with another pointed free.
Then on the three quarter hour Mullane struck with a real vengeance as he ghosted past two defenders and from less than twenty metres gave goalkeeper Brian O’Leary no chance with a blockbuster drive that rattled the rigging.
He quickly followed with a superb point and one felt that the favourites might now ease clear, but Ballyduff showed they are made of stern stuff in the way they responded to Mullane’s scoring flurry. Pat Fitzgerald, who had a great second half, scored a peach of a point and Power’s leveler from a free in the 58th minute looked like bringing the game to a replay.
Alas, for De La Salle, it was not to be. Kennedy scored a magnificent lead point on sixty minutes and Power unerringly tacked on another from a free two minutes into added time.
But there was still time for one final moment of drama. Mullane found a colleague from a close in free, took the return pass in full flight, but then agonizingly saw his match-winning effort fly inches over instead of under the bar.
Scorers for Ballyduff: B. Power (0-5); J. Kennedy (0-4); P. Matthews (1-0); C. Kenny (0-2); N. Power, S. Larkin, P. Fitzgerald (0-1) each.
De La Salle: J. Mullane (1-4); J. Quirke (0-4); D. McGrath (0-2); P. Nevin (0- 2); L. Hayes (0-1).
BALLYDUFF LOWER: B. O’Leary; D. Troy. J. O’Leary. P. Leahy; D. Van Veen. C. Kenny. D. Ryan; B. Power. P. Matthews; P. Fitzgerald. G. Harris. S. Larkin; N. Power. J. Kennedy. R. Barron.
Subs: A. Dunne for Larkin; S. O’Leary for Barron; P. Murphy for Harris.
DE LA SALLE: S. Kelly; A. Kelly, K. Moran, M. Doherty; D. Russell, B. Phelan, I. Flynn; B. Farrell, T. Kearney; B. Power, L. Hayes, P. Nevin; J. Mullane, J. Quirke, D. McGrath.
Subs: S. O’Donovan for Farrell; R. Murphy for Power.
Referee: T. Sullivan (Cappoquin).
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