Loughinisland given the blues

27 May 2015

SOMETHING had to give when these two big hitters clashed in a pulsating encounter at Macartan Park on Friday night, but few expected it would be Loughinisland’s unbeaten tag.

Ballymartin showed resilience way above the call of duty as they recovered from a slow start to take the game to their table-topping hosts and left it to county man Peter Fitzpatrick to deliver the coup de grace with two sensational second half goals.

Loughinisland started in a hurry and points from Seamus O’Hare, Conor Megoran and Aaron McClements had Jerome Johnston and Paul Duffin purring with delight.

Ballymartin retaliated with a point from Ryan O’Hare in the sixth minute, but this was quickly negated by a similar score from Seamus O’Hare a minute later. Loughinisland continued to give Ballymartin cause for concern in attack and two more points from O’Hare gave the hosts a 0-6 to 0-1 lead after nine minutes.

Ballymartin were then given a leg up when Loughinisland needlessly conceded a penalty in the 12th minute when Peter Fitzpatrick was fouled in the act of shooting and Ciaran O’Hare lashed the resultant penalty to the back of Kieran Gordon’s net to leave two points between the sides.

A point from Ross Cunningham left a point in it, but the force was now with Ballymartin and two points from Ciaran and Ryan O’Hare gave their side a 1-4 to 0-6 lead by the 16th minute.

The action continued fast and furious and Sean Hughes and Megoran swapped scores before Rory Mason set the place alight.

The county U-21 star, who had roamed in and out of the game, found himself some space out on the left hand flank. He was immediately confronted by his marker, but an injection of pace took him clear of two defenders as he closed in on goal.

Mason still had a lot to do, but before Mark Whelan and Adrian Doran could close him down he let fly with an unstoppable shot that rocketed to the net. Peter Nugent then tagged on a point to give Loughinisland a 1-8 to 1-5 lead by the 20th minute.

Ballymartin were not for rolling over and two unanswered points from Ross Cunningham and the flying Ciaran O’Hare made it a one point game again. Right on the stroke of half-time, however, Dan Gordon pushed forward in his inimitable style and split the posts with a super score to send his side in at the break with a deserved 1-9 to 1-7 lead. .

Mason extended this lead to three points on the resumption before Cahal Doyle responded with a point for Ballymartin.

Points from Conor Killen and another excellent score from McClements edged Loughinisland 1-12 to 1-8 ahead, but the visitors hit back with points from Doyle and Ciaran O’Hare.

McClements gave Loughinisland a 1-13 to 1-0 lead in the 51st minute, but Ballymartin were only starting to show their teeth.

Ciaran O’Hare launched a free from the right hand sideline into the danger zone.

Peter Fitzpatrick somehow managed to find acres of space, plucked the ball out of the air and beat Gordon with a searing strike to bring the sides level at 1-13 to 2-10.

Ross Cunningham pointed Ballymartin ahead in the 58th minute and a second goal from Peter Fitzpatrick — a real corker — put the tin hat on proceedings as far as the visitors were concerned.

John McCarthy and Ryan O’Hare exchanged scores as the game hurtled to a conclusion leaving Loughinisland to ponder two defensive lapses that gave Ballymartin two goals inside six crazy minutes.

Loughinisland: K. Gordon, P. Martin, P. Digney, R. Nixon, J. Flynn, D. Gordon (0-1), O. Teague, J. McCarthy (0-1), A. McClements (0-3), C. Killen (0-1), R. Mason (1-1), P. Nugent (0-1), S. O’Hare (0-4), C. Megoran (0-2), C. O’Reilly. Subs: R. Deegan for O’Hare, D. McLaughlin for Nugent.

Ballymartin: P. Greene, M. Phillips, M. Whelan, Paul Fitzpatrick, J. Doran, A. Doran, N. Kerr, Peter Fitzpatrick (2-0), M. Cunningham, R. Cunningham (0-3), C. O’Hare (1-3) S. Hughes (0-1), R. O’Hare (0-3), C. Doyle (0-2), R. Phillips. Subs: J. Fitzpatrick for Hughes, C. Cunningham for Doyle.

Loughinisland 1-14

Ballymartin 3-12

ACFL DIVISION 2

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