April 19th 2019 – Minor League Division 2

Ballintubber 2-16 The Neale 2-8
As reported by Oisín McGovern.
Our Minor team impressed in Division 2 with a solid victory over The Neale on Friday evening. An open, attacking 13-a-side game was served up by both sides with an abundance of kick-passing, but it was John McHale and Gary Dillon’s charges who won out with superior firepower. All but one of our forwards finished with at least two scores to their name while Alan McHale was lively throughout and had a huge hand in setting up goals for Bobby Reilly and Robbie Finnerty. At the back Magnus Malone and Jack Walsh stood out for the Red and White with a number of key interventions while Bobby Reilly and Cillian Redmond worked tirelessly at midfield.
It was the Neale who lead in the early stages when they cancelled out Stephen Burke’s opening score with a goal after a solo run from their corner-forward. The visitors added a pointed free before the Abbeysiders fought back, with Stephen Burke sending a beautiful foot pass into Alan McHale who wove his way inside to set up Bobby Reilly who drove home the ball from close range.
We would stretch our lead to six points over the next twenty minutes as Reilly, Robbie Finnerty, Josh Mahon and Adam Lally all raised white flags. The visitors were awarded a penalty three minutes from the break which they duly converted before adding a point to their tally a minute later, leaving the half-time score at 1-8 to 2-3.
The Neale would level matters with two unanswered points before a quick succession of scores from Robbie Finnerty steered us back in front. The younger brother of Conor and Jamsie Finnerty hit over two points before Alan McHale gave him a sublime foot-pass which, after some good work on Finnerty’s part, ended up nestled in the back of the net. A point each from Damien Jennings, Josh Mahon and Stephen Burke put us eight points ahead just before the fifty-minute mark.
Our goalie Matthew Coyne wasn’t found wanting when called upon to smother a serious attempt on goal by the away side, one which could well have swung the momentum had it gone in. Nonetheless, our Minors saw the game out comfortably as Damien Jennings pointed his second score before Robert Finnerty added his fifth and sixth points.
Ballintubber team that lined out: (1)Matthew Coyne (2)Jack Walsh (4)Michael Fleming (5)Magnus Malone (6)Adam Lally (0-1) (7)Diarmuid Heneghan (8)Cillian Redmond (9)Bobby Reilly (1-1) (10)Josh Mahon (0-3) (11)Robbie Finnerty (1-6) (12)Stephen Bourke (0-3) (13)Damien Jennings (0-2) (15)Alan McHale
Substitutions used: Caolan Burke for Michael Fleming (blood sub)