Junior Team sponsored by Four Star Pizza
Murphy’s Irish Stout AUL Premier A
Gurteenard, Saturday 19th December 2009, 2.00 p.m.
Kanturk 2 – 4 Ballincollig
The league leaders triumphed against the relegation strugglers in this Premier AUL A tie played on a chilly Saturday afternoon but they were made to work very hard for the three points on offer.
The home team took the game to the visitors from the off hitting the post on six minutes and with another free header going wide soon after but Ballincollig adapted to the pace of the game and enjoyed some possession without creating many chances. Their first chance came on 25 minutes when the ball was switched to David Rath who found himself in space on the left but his shot was well wide. Ballincollig felt that they were well in this game and Kanturk found it hard to get any time on the ball. Tim Brennan, in particular, was Patrik Viera esque in his tackling on the right wing.
Kanturk took the lead towards the end of the first half. A good run beat the offside trap down the left with the resulting shot well saved by Rob Quinn but the follow up was rammed home by the Kanturk centre-forward who is the league’s top scorer. Any illusions Kanturk had about an onslaught were ended a minute later when a penalty was given for a handball in the box. Last season Ballincollig missed a penalty in the same fixture (yeah, remind us who missed it again Steve?) but this time John-Paul Rath made sure punishment was exacted. His shot low and to the left had enough power in it to beat the net-minder who had managed to get a hand to it and both teams went in at the break with a goal a piece.
The ten minutes around the hour mark saw a flurry of goals with the lead changing hands in the process. Ballincollig took the lead through Tom Ross. A defender all of last season he seems to be enjoying life as a centre forward. He nicked the ball from the centre-half on the half way line and raced clear. With three defenders chasing him and the keeper advancing the cheeky striker fainted his shot to make the keeper take to the ground and then had the presence of mind to dink it over him. It was a goal that showed incredible finesse on his part.
If the Mid-Cork side thought they were going to get one over their opponents they were quickly disabused of the notion. The Kanturk danger man turned and twisted in the box with his back to goal and got his shot away to secure the equaliser. A penalty two minutes later awarded against Ballincollig for a carbon copy of the infraction in the first half was stuck for the hat-trick. There was a real feel of a contest to this game and the next goal was to prove crucial although Ballincollig will have a feeling their luck deserted them with about twenty minutes left.
The linesman was over ruled by the referee who gave the throw to the home side. Cries of, “Foul throw!” from the Ballincollig players were to no avail. The ball was played to the edge of the box where a shot which Rob Quinn had anticipated took a wicked deflection to find its way into the net breaking Ballincollig hearts amid the cheers of the Kanturk players and supporters. Tim Brennan almost replied with a header. He stretched his neck muscles as far as possible but he just couldn’t connect with the ball.
Try as they might Ballincollig couldn’t find any way through after that and the best they could muster was a few half chances. Ballincollig will take heart from this performance and Kanturk will take this game as a warning that nothing comes easy in this league. Best for the ‘Collig on the day were Rob Quinn, Tom Ross and JP Rath.
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.
Junior Team sponsored by Four Star Pizza
Murphy’s Irish Stout AUL Premier A
Leeds Park, Sunday 18th October 2009, 10.45 a.m.
Leeds 4 – 1 Ballincollig
This was a depleted Ballincollig outfit even with several players from the Youths called up to fill the ranks on a chilly Sunday morning on the North side. The score line is a bit unfair to Ballincollig given the overall performance but life and football isn’t about getting what you deserve.
Both teams competed very well but it was the home side who took the lead around the twenty minute mark. However, Ballincollig struck back immediately through Tom Ross who got his second goal in as many games. The previous goal may have simply been a case of being in the right place at the right time but this one was emphatic. A rocket from outside the box straight after the restart to typify the spirit that Ballincollig teams regularly display.
Ballincollig almost took the lead on 35 minutes through Cyril Quinn who was doing his best to copy Ross only to see his effort fly over the bar. Leeds were in no mood to let anyone away with a win on their home patch and had a few chances of their own. Both sides went into the break with one goal apiece.
John Kelly and Niall Murphy (Leeds) race for the ball
Photo from Billy Lyons’s Blog
It was a tough competitive game but it was played fairly. It was Leeds who got the decisive goal though on 70 minutes. They followed it up with two more to seal the victory. Best for Ballincollig were Brian O’Donovan, Chris Kelly making his return from injury and Trevor Murphy.
Premier Team sponsored by Four Star Pizza
Lucozade Sport Munster Junior Cup 1st Round
Regional Park, Saturday 3rd October 2009, 3.00 p.m.
Ballincollig 0 – 3 Bohemians
The score line does a disservice to Ballincollig as they were well in contention for most of this game but tiredness crept in and mistakes were punished in the last fifteen minutes. There was no sign of nerves among the home team as they took the game to the visitors showing composure at the back and opened them up with some neat passing. The final product was often lacking though as shots on goal didn’t manage to find the target. The best chance falling to Pa’ Flanagan who hit the post with a curling free-kick:
The centre half pairing of Michael Gallahue and Emmet Campion were well on top with full-backs Trevor Murphy and Tom Ross always providing the outlet for a counter attack as the home team dominated the opening exchanges. At half time it was nil all and Ballincollig were confident of pushing on to win the game however it wasn’t to be.
A Ballincollig free-kick resulted in a counter attack where the pace of the Bohemians striker took him past the chasing defender and he finished well into the bottom corner. Ballincollig sought to find the equaliser but were once again undone with a counter attack when a cross to the back post gave the Bohemians midfielder all the time in the world to head it into the net. There was some great skill and trickery shown by Ballincollig’s right flank which resulted in a Noel Hogan chance that just went the wrong side of the post following some nice interplay between him and Tom Ross. The third goal was the result of a mix-up in communication and a tap-in to an empty net.
There can be some pride in this performance despite the result. Pa’ Flanagan showed some wonderful touches. John Kelly also played very well both up front and later on the right side of midfield. With a bit more effort at training the luck will change and the goals and wins will start to come.
Premier Team sponsored by Four Star Pizza
Murphy’s Irish Stout AUL Premier A
Regional Park, Saturday 27th December 2008, 2.00 p.m
Ballincollig 1 – 2 Kanturk
This was a game where Ballincollig deserved at least a point and should have gotten something from. With more games played than the teams around them and safety by no means yet assured every point counts. Ballincollig produced the early pressue but it was Kanturk who took the lead with thirteen minutes gone when the ball was left to bounce in the box and their striker made no mistake. They almost got a second two minutes later when a mazy dribble was ended with a gleeful hoof out of the box from the Ballincollig back line.
Ballincollig (red) attempt an attack
The home side began to assert themselves though and David McCarthy forced the keeper into a good save and not for the last time in the match the Kanturk net minder denied Ballincollig from the resulting corner. Against the run of play, Kanturk converted a penalty and the ‘Collig were two goals down. Skipper Ian Hayes refused to let the heads drop and lead by example putting in the tackles and getting on the ball. Ballincollig forced a free kick with five minutes left in the first half and as the ball pinged around the box Gavin O’ Callaghan made no mistake putting his team back in contention.
The second half saw Ballincollig create chance after chance but they could not find the equaliser. Eoghan O’Keeffe hit the crossbar with Eric Lynch & Trevor O’Mahony also going close. Kanturk sought to hit the ‘Collig on the counter though and David Lordan made some good saves to keep his team in it. The sweeper for Kanturk was annonyingly having a very good game as was his team-mate between the posts when called upon. Ballincollig continued to push but could not get the second they needed. Best for Ballincollig were man of the match David McCarthy along with Ian Hayes & David Bowen.
