Big Ballinastragh win
Ballinastragh Gaels, winners of the O'Loughlin Cup title in St. Patrick's Park on Sunday last.
THE Kilanerin/Tara Rocks combination known as Ballinastragh Gaels were worthy winners over understrength Fethard at St. Patrick's Park, Enniscorthy, on Sunday last in the final of the O'Loughlin Cup Minor football competition.
The Gorey District side were ahead from start to finish, having received the boost of a fifth-minute goal scored by team captain Mark Boland following some good work by John Kavanagh amongst others in the build-up.
Fethard, who were without Darren Foley due to soccer and the injured Edmond Power, opened their account with a pointed free from John Tubritt, but the eventual winners were on top for most of the first-half as they established a ninepoint lead (2-5 to 0-2) by the break.
After that early goal, Liam De Hora followed up with a brace of points and Mark Boland also accounted for one before John Tubritt added his second from a free for Fethard as they trailed by 1-3 to 0-2 by the midway stage of the first-half.
Dean O'Toole accounted for goal number two for Ballinastragh ten minutes before the break when he kicked the rebound to the net after an earlier attempt by James Mordaunt was well saved. O'Toole also added a couple of points from frees before the interval to open up that nine-point advantage.
True to form, Fethard did not give in without a serious second-half fightback. Within a minute of the restart they had the ball in the opposing net when a cross from the right corner was deflected past the goalie from close range by Graham O'Grady.
Mark Boland and James Graham were then on target with a point apiece for Ballinastragh, and only a couple of brilliant saves by the Fethard goalie, Eoin Travers, prevented further scores.
Fethard burst onto the scene again midway through the second-half as Garrett Foley and John Tubritt found the range with points from far out and, when Graham O'Grady was at the end of a long delivery in by Foley to score a second goal, the lead was reduced to five points (2-10 to 2-5) with ten minutes left.
Ballinastragh showed their superiority again before the finish as John Kavanagh, Mark Boland, Liam De Hora, James Mordaunt and substitute Conor Devitt all scored points without reply.
The competition Secretary, Fintan Whyte, presented the cup to the captain of the winning team, Mark Boland, while P.R.O., Jimmy McDonald, presented the man of the match trophy to the influential Ballinastragh full-back, Edward Hughes, who was a worthy recipient.
