Ballinamore cruise home despite Dromahair resistance

A 15 point defeat might seem like a baptism of fire for St Patrick’s Dromahair but for much of last Saturday’s Connacht Gold Leitrim SFC opening round tie in Glencar Community Park, last year’s Intermediate winners were by no means overwhelmed by champions Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins.

Ballinamore, who failed to convert a number of goal chances, was not tested in this game and did win more or less as they pleased as Ballinamore manager Eddie Bouabbse admitted that his side did still find it quite a challenging experience at times on a boiling hot August evening.

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Ballinamore started brightly and completely dominated the first quarter's action when they hit four points without reply. Dillon Beirne, Shane Moran and Paul Moran whipped over a point each in the opening nine minutes and Dromahair had a let off when Paul Moran put a 12th minute goal inches wide. 

Mark McRory got his name on the score sheet when he whipped over a point just prior to the calling of the game's first water break. Ballinamore increased their lead on the resumption with Shane Moran firing over.

Dromahair who began to up their game in the second quarter got their account open when Martin Feeney split the Ballinamore uprights from a 19th minute placed ball. Dillon Beirne answered some three minutes later when shot over his second point of the half. 

When Jamie Conlon replied with a well hit Dromahair point a minute later, the north Leitrim side were getting to grips a little better with the champions as they trailed by four points. But Ballinamore put more daylight between the sides when Wayne McKeon tapped over a 27th minute free.

Three minutes later, Niall McGovern fired over after receiving a pass from brother Dean and then Michael McKiernan got his name on the score sheet.

Shorty afterwards Ballinamore's Eoin Shanley was shown yellow for a foul on Dromahair's Gary Fowley and Martin Feeney punished that foul when he put over the Dromahair free.

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Before the interval an unmarked Niall McGovern shot over after he was put through after a spot-on kick pass from Wayne McKeon Ballinamore led by 0-10 to 0-3 at halftime.

Evidence of a Dromahair fightback were very much in the air in the opening minute of the second half when Dromahair worked the ball to Martin Feeney, after  a final pass from James Clinton, split his opponents uprights .

Ballinamore responded when a  foul on Dean McGovern was punished with a Paul Moran free. 

Dromahair responded well when they hit back with two points. Martin Feeney hit the game's most spectacular score when he whipped over a mighty point from out near the right-hand sideline from over 30 metres out. Feeney  also hit the target a minute later from a free to reduce the deficit to just five points.

Ballinamore knew they now had a game on their hands and they certainly responded in deadly fashion as they hit an unanswered 1-7 while holding Dromahair scoreless for the next 16 minutes.

Paul Moran certainly put to bed the notion that Dromahair might cause a shock when he fired to the Dromahair net on 43 minutes. Michael McKiernan hit over two points on the trot and Niall McGovern also split the Dromahair uprights. 

Dillon Beirne, Shane Moran (free), Wayne McKeon (free) and Paul Moran added points each that left the game challengers, Dromahair 15 points adrift with some seven plus minutes left  play.

Dromahair's first score in 15 minutes was registered when a Feeney shot was tipped over by Ballinamore goalkeeper, Darren Maxwell in the game's 53rd minute.

Sub Brian Banks fired over a Ballinamore point and Paul Moran converted a free to put a gap of 16 points between the sides. Martin Feeney closed the scoring of the contest when pointed a free that was awarded for a foul on himself before the finish.

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ANNADUFF 3-11 GLENCAR MANORHAMILTON 2-5

BALLINAMORE SEAN O'HESLINS

Scorers: Paul Moran 1-4, 2f; Michael McKiernan 0-4; Shane Moran (f) & Dillon Beirne 0-3 each; Niall McGovern & Wayne McKeon (2f) 0-2 each; Mark McGrory & Brian Banks 0-1 each

Team: Darren Maxwell; Eoin Shanley, Mattie Murphy, Liam Ferguson, Wayne McKeon, Oisin McCaffrey, Keelan McHugh, Dean McGovern, Shane Moran; Michael McKiernan, Dillon Beirne, Senan Harte; Paul Moran, Mark McRory, Niall McGovern. Subs: Brian Banks for N. McGovern (45); Brian Leyden for Shanley (47)

ST. PATRICK'S DROMAHAIR

Scorers: Martin Feeney 0-7, 4f; Jamie Conlon 0-1

Team: John McGoldrick; Jamie McLoughlin, Rory Kelly, Fergal McMorrow; Declan Fowley, Jamie Conlan, Keelan McLoughlin, Martin Clancy, Adrian Fowley; Shane Fowley, Martin Feeney, James Morrison; Gary Fowley, Darragh McMorrow, James Clinton. Subs: Conor Morrison & Diarmuid Giblin for McMorrow & S. Fowley (51) 

REFEREE: Vincent McMorrow