Score line doesn’t tell the whole story
Junior Team sponsored by Four Star Pizza
Murphy’s Irish Stout AUL Premier A
Monard, Saturday 12th December 2009, 2.00 p.m.
Blackstone Rovers 5 – 0 Ballincollig
This game could have had several score lines and while Blackstone on balance deserved their win, the manner in which it was achieved left both teams extremely frustrated.
Ballincollig dominated the opening fifteen minutes. Michael Gallahue had the keeper scurrying with a long range free kick that flashed past the post and Tim Brennan had a free header on the back post from a corner. The home team found their way into the game though and it was on the 21st minute they took the lead. A ball played down the right hand side over the fullback had protests of offside from the Ballincollig players but it was to no avail as the ball was finished well into the corner. You got the feeling it wasn’t going to be Ballincollig’s day due to the circumstances of the next goal.
Blackstone collected the ball in midfield and played it to their striker. It was at knee height. As he attempted to control the ball he slipped and fell only for it to hit him on the chest and fall neatly for his teammate. The striker picked himself up and pushed on. Another poor ball was played to him in the air. It bounced on his backside, hit his hip and fell neatly past the centre-half for him to finish into the corner. It had to be seen to be believed. Despite their misfortune, Ballincollig kept fighting and should have had a goal just before the half time whistle. Joe Buggy chased a ball down and found himself with the keeper to beat on the left wing. He was forced wide but managed to beat the keeper and get his shot off from the tightest of angles. The ball rolled across the face of the goal and, agonizingly for Ballincollig, the wrong side of the far post.
Feeling they should at least be on level terms Ballincollig went in at half time still in the game and with a lot to play for. The Rovers were determined to push this game beyond the visitors though and nearly did so immediately after the second half whistle. Despite the calls of offside the striker was through on goal. He tried the lob but John Kelleher, who made some great saves throughout the game, managed to get a hand to it. Michael Gallahue chasing back got the ball off the line and Ballincollig were still in it.
The remainder of the match was filled with controversy as both sides were protesting the decisions of the referee. Blackstone were awarded three goals. One of which had suspicions of offside and one from a corner that was given when it went out off a Blackstone player. They had a perfectly legitimate goal disallowed for reasons that escaped everyone who was watching. Ballincollig’s David Rath had a goal disallowed for offside as did Stephen Lynch and Lynch also went close in the final few minutes with a shot at the edge of the box when Steven Day had set him up from a Ballincollig corner.
The score line tells one story but the truth is that Ballincollig deserved a bit more respect than it would appear. Best for Ballincollig on the day were John Kelleher in goal with Michael Gallahue and David Murphy also playing well.
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