Glasdrumman
shock under strength Ballyholland - 16/05/2003
A.C.F.L
Division 2, Round 7- Glasdrumman 1-16 - Ballyholland
Harps 3-04
Taken from Ballyholland Website
Glasdrumman were fully deserving of their six point
victory over a woeful Ballyholland team last Thursday
evening. In the second half the Mourne team completely
dominated the game and they punished poor Ballyholland
midfield play by scoring at will. The first half was
quite an even affair, with the sides trading scores
throughout - it wasn't until the 30th minute that
two consecutive scores were from the same team.
Ronan Murphy started very brightly
for the Harps, scoring two excellent long-range points
either side of a Raymond Magorrian free. Mick Mooney
drew scores level again before a superb move saw John
Barry score a tremendous point. Although Glasdrumman
drew level again, a wonder goal from Mark O'Hare gave
Ballyholland the first significant lead of the evening.
A clever pass from Glen Elmore found Colman Smith
and he delivered the ball to O'Hare in oceans of space.
Then, from fully 25 yards, Wee Sho blasted a daisy-cutter
into the far corner of Glasdrumman's goal.
This should have been the platform
for Ballyholland to build up a big lead, but instead
it invigorated the seaside team and they began to
dominate proceedings. They answered with three more
points before half-time, but a free from John Barry
meant Ballyholland went in at the break ahead by the
smallest of margins - 1-04 to 0-06.
The lead only lasted until about
the third minute of the second period as a rampant
Glasdrumman made the most out of the mass of possession
they were winning at midfield. They knocked over seven
unanswered points, including a couple of absolute
gems from Magorrian and Magennis. Ballyholland didn't
appear to have any answer until Eugene Campbell, as
he has done so often this season, appeared out of
nowhere inside the Glasdrumman twenty-one, where he
teed up O'Hare for his second goal of the evening.
As with before, conceding a goal only served to inspire
the Glasdrumman team, as they further tightened their
stranglehold on possession. The goal they wanted finally
arrived with about five minutes to go when Declan
Grant touched a high ball beneath the despairing grasp
of Kevin Loughran.
Further points from Mooney and Feeney
killed off the game completely before Mark O'Hare
completed his hat-trick from a debatable penalty kick.
All in all, Glasdrumman were fully deserving of their
victory. They have proven themselves to be a very
capable Division II team, even if it is their first
time playing in this flight. They are a big, strong
team that is well organised and very disciplined.
On this evening, Mooney, Magorrian, Magennis and Kevin
Burns were simply outstanding for them. As for the
Harps, well this was easily their worst performance
of the season. Key players were missing in abundance,
but that is a poor excuse to use and would take away
from an excellent Glasdrumman performance. Midfield
simply did not count. There was a period of ten minutes
shortly after the restart when Ballyholland did not
win a single ball in midfield. Inevitably the defence
succumbed to the great pressure they were put under.
The law of averages says a team that gains so much
possession must score regularly.
There was no excusing the distribution
from the defence though, which was generally poor
and occasionally downright awful. The forwards too
were poor but in general were starved of possession.
The fantastic short passing game employed to such
good effect earlier in the season just didn't click
on this occasion. Mark O'Hare was the one bright spark
scoring a hat-trick and always looking dangerous.
Campbell and Glen Elmore deserve a mention, but O'Hare
was the only Harps player who could hold his head
up high after the game.
There was one other bright part
to the evening for Ballyholland, as club legend Denis
Crilly came out of retirement (again) to replace Robbie
Quinn in the second-half. Ballyholland have a lot
of work to do now to put their season back on track.
Saval and Warrenpoint are showing no signs of letting
up the early pace as they continue to put away opponents
with ease. Next up is a local derby with the Mitchels,
where hopefully the return of Ronan Murtagh will deliver
the essential win needed.
Teams:
Glasdrumman - R McDowell, S Brennan, K Burns, F O'Neill,
C Carr, B Burns, M Trimble, M Mooney, P Mallon, S
Feeney, R Magorrian, M Magennis, R Clarke, D Grant,
C McGreevy.
Ballyholland - K Loughran, G Elmore,
S O'Hare, E Campbell, John Patterson, C Murtagh, C
Smith, B O'Hare, James Patterson, J Barry (0-2, 1f)
R Murphy (0-2), R Quinn (D Crilly), K Fallon (A McNamee),
C Hartigan, M O'Hare (3-0, 1p).
