Ballymac 1-09

Na Gaeil 3-17

Ballymac were host to Na Gaeil on Sunday 24^th of September in the Final of the Senior County League. The weather was promising with warm sun shine and with a fantastic attendance in the stand and grounds it made for the perfect Sunday League Final day.

Na Gaeil opened the scoring in this match in seconds with a point from Seamie O’Neill followed quickly  when a free was awarded to the away side and Darragh Carmody put the ball over the bar in a composed style. Ballymac responded with Captain Paudi Mac giving the home side their mark in the game by powering through the Na Gaeil defence and scoring the first point for his team. But the visitors forward line won the ball minutes later by punishing Ballymac with another point from Darragh Carmondy. 

Ballymac's Thomas O’Connor was not be brought down at that point of the game and with absolute determination found his way past the Na Gaeil keeper to land the ball at the back of net, a goal well celebrated and well deserved.

Na Gaeil however fought back and proved that they earned their place in division 2 next season with talented players like Jack Barry scoring his first point of the match and this followed again with their number 14 Jamie Lawham scoring 2 points and their first goal keeping their team ahead in the first half.

Balymac fought to obtain a lead and keeper Paudi Laide protected his team by pulling off what can only be described as an outstanding save and stopped the away team from extending their lead once more.The half score was Ballymac 1-04 to Na Gaeil's 1-09.

The second half was always going to be a tense affair with both teams coming in with everything to play for . But it was Na Gaeil that began the battle with Jack Barry and Seamie O’Neill scoring 2 points in succession and Ballymac's Eoin O’Malley tried hard to close in the score by making a great attempt at a goal but the Na Gaeil keeper was in the right place to stop him from netting the ball. 

Ballymac's Aiden Breen did manage to bring his team closer to Na Gaeil's score by not once but twice putting the ball over the bar. But it wasn’t enough for the home side as Na Gaeil found a new energy and by making some changes in the team pulled two futher goals out of the bag one by Jack Barry and the second from Diarmuid Herlihy which left the home side behind but not defeated in spirit as they fought hard to obtain the win.

The Na Gaeil side pushed forward and scored a further 6 points to secure their lead, two points from Ballymac's Eanna Reidy wasn’t enough in the end to maintain a lead.

With both teams putting on what can only be described as a skillful and eye warming game it was the visitors that were the successful team and we congratulate them in their victory.