Last-gasp free denies Kilbeggan as Ballymore salvage draw

Kilbeggan Shamrocks 1-9, Ballymore 0-12

A free from substitute Stephen Rooney with the last kick of the game earned Ballymore a share of the spoils with Kilbeggan Shamrocks in an exciting Westmeath Intermediate Football Championship Section B Round 3 encounter at Tang last Saturday evening.

In a game where both sides enjoyed periods of dominance, Ballymore were the more relieved at the final whistle as they picked up their first point of the campaign after losing their first two matches. Referee Enda Kelly played a questionable amount of injury-time (four minutes) which allowed Mike Tumelty’s side to save themselves when all seemed lost.

While last year’s junior champions Kilbeggan weren’t happy with the time-keeping and made their feelings known to the match official afterwards, they remain unbeaten and in a strong position to qualify for the quarter-finals with five points from a possible six. And not too many would have predicted that at the start of the season.

Switched from Moate to form part of a double-header with the Milltown v Castledaly Section A clash, this game was keenly-contested with no quarter asked or given throughout.

Ballymore dominated the early exchanges to lead by 0-6 to 0-1 after 17 minutes before adding just a single point in 30 minutes as a Nigel Scally-inspired Kilbeggan took over. The talented full forward scored 1-6 in a man of the match performance, with 1-4 of that coming from play.

But despite Scally’s brilliance, the Shamrocks were unable to put Ballymore away, with a 52n[-minute black card for midfielder Darragh Coffey not helping their cause.

After Ciaran Finerty (free) and Scally traded early points, the green and golds clicked into gear with five unanswered scores from top-scorer Sam Maxwell (two, one free), Eanna Keena, the evergreen Derek Molloy (mark) and Colm O’Roarke.

After hitting the woodwork twice with point attempts and also failing to convert any one of three ‘45s, Kilbeggan eventually got some traction when Conor Delaney scored twice (one free) in quick succession. Sam Maxwell replied with a lovely point off his left boot before Ballymore had a let-off at the other end when Conor McNeill made an excellent save from Conor Carroll.

A Scally mark on the stroke of half-time left it a one-score game, 0-4 to 0-7, before the same player brought Niall O’Brien’s men closer with two from play straight after the restart. The hard-working Padraig Carton supplied the bullets on both occasions.

Maxwell responded again with a mark, but the momentum remained with Kilbeggan who took the lead for the first time in the 43rd minute when a high ball into the danger area by Shaun Pidgeon was fielded by substitute Colm Heffernan who, instead of calling for the mark, fed Scally and he gave McNeill no chance with a powerful low finish to the net.

Micheál Coffey followed up with a point to push the Brosnasiders two clear before Niall Rabbitte kept them in front with a fantastic double save from Owen McCabe and Ivan Smyth. Maxwell (free) and Scally swapped points before Kilbeggan had another lucky escape when Derek Molloy blasted over with a goal at his mercy.

As Ballymore went in search of an equaliser, Darragh Coffey was black-carded for taking down Owen McCabe. Despite their numerical disadvantage, Kilbeggan restored their two-point lead from a huge Scally free in the 56th minute and it looked like they would hold on after Ballymore spurned a couple of scoring opportunities.

But they refused to panic and, after Maxwell reduced the deficit to the minimum from a 61st-minute placed ball, they won another close-in free at the death which Maxwell left to the left-footed Rooney to slot over just moments after his introduction.

For the record, Ballymore registered ten wides compared to Kilbeggan’s five.

Scorers – Kilbeggan Shamrocks: N Scally 1-6 (1f, 1 mark); C Delaney 0-2 (1f); M Coffey 0-1. Ballymore: S Maxwell 0-6 (3fs, 1 mark); D Molloy 0-2 (1 mark); C Finerty (f), E Keena, C O’Roarke and S Rooney (1f) 0-1 each.

Kilbeggan Shamrocks: Niall Rabbitte; Martin Ward, James Fox, Josh Malone; Conor Carroll, James Hanlon, Mark Wrafter; Darragh Coffey, Joey O’Neill; Shaun Pidgeon, Padraig Carton, Micheál Coffey; James Finnegan, Nigel Scally, Conor Delaney. Subs: Colin Draper for Hanlon (22 min, injured), Colm Heffernan for O’Neill (40 min), Cathal Finn for Finnegan (59 min).

Ballymore: Conor McNeill; Jack Kearney, Sean Keena, Darragh Monaghan; Daniel Ennis, Brian McCabe, Eoin Ryan; Owen McCabe, Ronan McLoughlin; Eanna Keena, Ivan Smyth, Colm O’Roarke; Sam Maxwell, Derek Molloy, Ciaran Finerty. Sub: Stephen Rooney for Finerty (60 min).

Referee: Enda Kelly (Castledaly).