Shamrocks
come up trumps in local derby - 12/08/2003
ACFL
II - Ballyholland Harps 0.13 - 2.14 Newry Shamrocks - 01/08/03
Taken from Ballyholland Website
When this game
was originally scheduled for May, Ballyholland were a top-four side, playing with
huge confidence and some style. On the other hand, Shamrocks were in disarray,
struggling to pick up points and hovering around the relegation zone - which was
almost unbelievable for a team with their potential. Had the game gone ahead as
planned, Harps would have been huge favourites to win.
Unfortunately
for them, Paddy O'Rourke intervened and the game was postponed to help out the
County team's Ulster Championship run. How things have changed over those eight
weeks. While Ballyholland's season first stalled, then headed into decline, Shamrocks
slowly got their act together and began to put together a charge for promotion
that has gathered momentum as the weeks have gone on - and now looks almost unstoppable.
They entered Friday night's local derby as favourites,
and during the proceeding match did everything they could to justify the tag.
There was confidence and a swagger in their play and they simply steamrollered
Ballyholland into submission. Another two points gained and now, despite the early-season
turmoil, they look set to bag a promotion play-off place. Shane Mulholland did
open the scoring for Ballyholland though, with a handy free kick that Eugene Campbell
had earned from an early forage forward. Karl Murphy levelled things up after
good work from Martin Rafferty, before John Barry tapped over a left-footed effort
after a series of interchanges with Mulholland.
The opening
exchanges were quite even and chances were kept to a minimum, but after seven
minutes Shamrocks enjoyed a huge stroke of fortune that was to prove pivotal for
the rest of the game. Brendan Loughran got inside his marker and attempted to
punch the ball over for a point. As his effort dropped short, a mix-up between
Kevin Loughran and Sean O'Hare saw them both get a hand on the ball as it dropped
into the net. Amazingly, if neither had touched it then the goal would not have
stood - as the rules state you can't punch a ball directly into the net. It was
a freak goal and to be quite honest it was undeserved at the time, but it set
up a platform from which the Shamrocks went on to dominate the game.
Karl Murphy hit a wonderful thirty-metre effort after a long run from midfield
and Brendan Loughran tapped over a nice effort after finding himself in acres
of space out on the left-hand side. Ballyholland fought back with another Mulholland
free before Collie Burns replied with an effort from nearly fifty metres, after
a great catch and pass at midfield from Conor McCoy, who also got on the scoresheet
moments later, with a simple free after Rafferty was dragged down. Mulholland
added another free, but the Shamrocks had started to take control and despite
Karl Murphy flashing a gilt-edged goal opportunity past the post, a fine point
from Decky McParland and another free from McCoy opened up a comfortable six-point
cushion for their team. In an effort to stem the tide, Ballyholland introduced
Ronan Murtagh to the fray.
Murtagh had shipped a heavy
knock while playing for Down the previous week and although he was still suffering
from a dead-leg, he made an immediate impact - winning a free after a 'welcoming'
shoulder-charge from Damien Rafferty. Shane Mulholland knocked the forty-metre
effort over with ease and Aidy McAteer added a further point to reduce the deficit
at half-time to four points - 1.07 to 0.06. The Shamrocks management obviously
wanted more out of their charges and began the second period with several noticeable
changes.
Collie Burns began at midfield, with Karl Murphy
moving to the edge of the square. Stephen O'Hagan made way for Tony Crean and
Dee Rafferty was moved to full-back to help combat the threat posed by Ronan Murtagh.
Murphy and Mulholland traded frees to open the scoring, but the opening five minutes
were more remarkable for missed goal opportunities at both ends, either of which
could have turned the game on it's head. First up, each of the Shamrocks full-forward
line was denied, almost in series, by a combination of great defending and lacklustre
finishing. Almost immediately afterwards, Ronan Murtagh found himself in space
behind the Shamrocks full-back with only the keeper to beat. Murtagh is normally
deadly in these situations, but Paul Crimmons pulled off a great stop to deny
the Harps a way back into the game. Despite having his effort saved, Ronan Murtagh
was to the fore as Ballyholland enjoyed their best spell in the match over the
proceeding five minutes. He set Mulholland up for a nice twenty-five metre effort,
and although Loughran replied with a fisted effort after leaving his marker for
dead, Murtagh then knocked over two fines scores - both as a result of good work
by Mark O'Hare.
There was only two points in at this stage
with twenty minutes left, and it looked like we would be in for an exciting finale.
In truth though, Shamrocks ran away with it from this point as a variety of elements
swung the balance in their favour. They tightened their stranglehold on midfield
possession, with Conor McCoy becoming more prevalent as the game progressed. From
this platform, Tony Crean added a well-taken point under pressure before Brendan
Loughran punched home the crucial score in the game, a well-worked goal involving
great work by Rafferty and Murphy.
Although Mulholland
replied with another free, the goal sapped the life out of Ballyholland and their
cause wasn't helped by the obvious worsening of Murtagh's injury, added to Mark
O'Hare's withdrawal, also with a leg injury. Christie Shields replaced O'Hare
and he knocked over a long-range effort almost immediately, but he wasn't to see
much off the ball after that as the Shamrocks launched a mini-scoring spree to
put the game beyond doubt. Crean, Loughran and Murphy twice did the damage, and
although Aidy McAteer finished the scoring, it was little more than a consolation
effort. The Shamrocks were good value for their seven-point win. They looked confident
and skilful throughout the pitch and played to their strengths very well. By far
the quickest team in the division, they used this speed to great effect, both
in playing the ball into space and in creating attacking overlaps.
Some
of their point-taking was top-drawer stuff and they dominated midfield - both
in terms of clean catches and in breaking-ball. It is an unfortunate aspect of
being a 'town team', but it is very rare for the Shamrocks to field the same team
week-in, week-out. This problem seems to have been remedied in recent weeks and
it is reaping obvious dividends, as their players appear to have developed a very
good understanding with each other. If they can keep this squad together, and
continue to play with this confidence and intensity for the rest of the season,
it's difficult to see who can stop them winning promotion. As for Ballyholland,
well they were a poor second best in this encounter.
For
the third week in a row they faced a team competing for promotion - and for the
third week in a row they came up short. It would now take a series of bizarre
results for the Harps to have any chance of making the play-offs. Not making the
play-offs would have to be seen as a bad season for Ballyholland. There is so
much potential in the club and early season performances against Warrenpoint and
Downpatrick point to this fact. Obviously a fully-fit Ronan Murtagh would make
a huge difference to the team. He took the Shamrocks defence to pieces on quite
a few occasions, despite playing with a dead-leg. Others should be able to step
in to the breech in his absence, but this is happening all to rarely for the Harps.
The free flowing, short-passing, give-and-go style of early-season
Ballyholland has been conspicuous by its absence in recent weeks. Instead, saturation
defence and reliance on the long-ball has crept in, a style reminiscent of Ballyholland
last season, and one that doesn't suit their players. Added to this, Ballyholland
are having great difficulty in winning clean possession in midfield.
With
less than a fortnight to the start of the Championship, the Harps have a lot of
work to do in these areas to rescue their season.
Teams:
Ballyholland: K Loughran, G Elmore, S O'Hare, E Campbell, John Patterson, R Murphy,
C Smith, James Patterson, J Shields, C Barry (R Murtagh (0-2) (P Duffy)), S Mulholland
(0-7, 6f), R Quinn, J Barry (0-1), A McAteer (0-2), M O'Hare (C Shields (0-1)).
Shamrocks: P Crimmons, D McParland (0-1), C Fleming, G
Loughran, D Rafferty, K McGuigan, D Quinn, S O'Hagan (T Crean (0-2)), C Conlon,
K Murphy (0-5, 2f), C McCoy (0-2f), G Murphy (C Coffey), B Loughran (2-3), C Burns
(0-1), M Rafferty.
Man of the Match: Best for Ballyholland
were Sean O'Hare, John Patterson and Shane Mulholland, who all managed to save
some face from an otherwise disappointing team performance. Considering his injuries,
Ronan Murtagh's performance was remarkable. For the Shamrocks, there was an abundance
of top-class performances. Damien Rafferty had an excellent game in a defence
where Donal Quinn also caught the eye. Conor McCoy and Karl Murphy both had big
games and were elegant and intelligent in attack. The best player on show though
was Brendan Loughran. The corner-forward is blessed with searing speed, but on
this occasion he proved again there is a lot more to his game than just pace.
His lines of running and willingness to show for the ball were brilliant and he
revealed a real poacher's instinct throughout, hence a personal tally of 2-3 -
all from play.
