Ballymac 5-09  Gneeveguilla 2-11

From the off, Ballymac were determined to reign over the visitors and they proved their strength when, within the first minute of the game, Thomas O’Connor came face to face with the Gneeveguilla keeper Patrick Riordan and fisted the ball over the keeper’s shoulder and landed it in the net.  Determination and team work took over the Ballymac side with the early confidence boost and before only three minutes had passed in the game, Eanna Reidy and Micheal Reidy followed Thomas’s example and scored a goal each, leaving the visitors trail behind by three goals.  With this strong start, Ballymac would not show a weakness scoring another point skillfully, put over the bar by Aiden Breen. It was seven minutes before the much needed response came from the visitors, when Gneeveguilla’s D.J. O’Connor put a point on the scoreboard.  As the break drew closer, Ballymac put on an outstanding hard working display ,resulting in Thomas O’Connor scoring his second goal of the game.  Gneeveguilla never lost spirit and just before the half time whistle scored a much needed goal.   Half time score:  Ballymac 4-04 Gneeveguilla 1-05.

In the second half, Ballymac knew they needed to maintain their lead and the visitors knew they had to play a catch up game, which they tried so hard to fulfill.  Gneeveguilla scored four successive points without reply from the home team in the first five minutes of the second half but Ballmac responded when Vinnie Horan scored Ballymac’s 5^th goal of the game, leaving the visitors to trail behind further once again. Nineteen minutes had gone and Ballymac were awarded another point, when Aiden Breen again put the ball over the cross bar when he was awarded a free kick.  Gneeveguilla were awarded a free minutes later, to see them score another point.  It was the visitors to return the punishment, when their ever strong John Sheehan scored their second goal, bringing the score to Ballymac 5-06 to Gneeveguillas 2-11.   Aiden Breen on the home side responded in seconds with another point, to secure his team’s chances of running to finish with victory, capped by another point from Paudi McCarthy.

Gneeveguilla tried hard to close down their opponents, but Ballymac proved to be too strong and once again came out on top in what was an exciting and competitive game - a match of great skill with some fine displays from both sides.