Match Report-Connacht Gold IFC Relegation Ballymote v Tourlestrane

Back 11/10/2021 @ 13:54 | mainnews | Match Report-Connacht Gold IFC Relegation Ballymote v Tourlestrane

Connacht Gold Intermediate Championship Relegation play off

Sunday 10 October

Fr. Kevin Brehony Park, Keash

Ref: Gavin Cawley

 

Ballymote 3-10; Tourlestrane 0-08

 

 

Ballymote and Tourlestrane squared off in a sunny Keash last Sunday in a must win game for both sides in order to avoid a relegation final. 

 

Both sides started well but it was Ballymote full forward Conor Meehan who cut in from the left for the opening score of the day.

 

Tourlestrane reply was swift with Rian Kennedy scoring from a free. Ballymote came back again with a points from Peter Lyons and a Niall Colsh free but Kennedy responded with two frees to leave the sides level again.

 

Both sides were guilty of missing chances in the first half but Stephen Ross's point to put Ballymote in front again gave Ballymote some momentum and a minute later the ball would be in the back of the Tourlestrane net courtesy of some good work from Meehan who squared it to Zac O'Dowd to blast it to the back of the net. Tourlestrane closed the first half scoring with another Kennedy free to leave the scores 1-4 to 0-4 at half time.

 

The second half continued the pattern with both teams trading scores in a tit for tat opening 15 minutes. Colsh and Kennedy traded frees with Ballymote’s Jack Lavin and O'Dowd adding from play to leave Ballymote 1-07 to 0-06 going into the final water break.

 

In the last quarter, Ballymote brought more urgency to the fray and opened up a decisive gap when O'Dowd fed Stephen Ross who finished neatly to the back of the net.

 

Tourlestrane pressed hard to get a goal but full back Ballymote Michael Doddy was immense in clearing any danger around the square.

 

Rory Brennan converted a point for the men in green and gold but Ballymote went back up the pitch again and converted scores from O'Dowd and Lavin before the latter played in a ball from deep for O'Dowd to finish to the net for his second goal of the game.

 

In a hectic conclusion, Kennedy converted another free before Tristan Regan scored the final point of the game. 

 

Tourlestrane will go into next week’s Relegation Final against Castleconnor. They proved a tricky opposition for Ballymote and if they can produce that same performance, they will have every chance.

 

For Ballymote a season that had started so brightly with a Benson Cup final and League Semi Final ended flat, but will maintain their intermediate status heading into 2022.

 

 

 

 

Ballymote; Cian Kilcoyne, Kenny Meehan, Micheal Doddy, Ronan Keenan, Tristan Regan 0-1 ( Aaron laing), Shane Langton 0-1, Micheal Rafferty, Jack Lavin 0-1, Stephen Ross 1-1, Niall Colsh 0-2, Colin Byrne (Paul Mullin), Peter Lyons 0-1 (Jack Hever) Conor Meehan 0-1 (Jim Sweeney), Zac o Dowd 2-2

 

Tourlestrane; Eamon O'Hara, Kieran Feehily, Sean McVeigh, Ronan Walsh, Johnny Tracey, Diarmuid Dunne, Ben Tracey, Joe Molloy, Ciaran Walsh, Darragh Feehily, Colin Neary, Conor Surlis, Rory Brennan 0-1, David Brennan, Rian Kennedy 0-7

Subs Used: Fintan Kennedy