Understrength Maryland find Ballyroan Abbey

Despite losing this Leinster I.F.C. quarter-final game to a physically stronger Ballyroan Abbey combination in a game played under horrendous conditions at Timahoe last Sunday, defeat does not diminish in the slightest the magnificent achievement of a Maryland team who took the Peter Geraghty Cup after a 28-year gap just two short weeks ago, as well as gaining national accolades in the Celebrity Bainisteor series earlier in the year.Although the conquerors of the Drumraney club were crowned Laois senior football champions as recent as 2006 (then known as Ballyroan Gaels), and had already overcome Wexford Kingpins Taghmon-Camross in the opening I.F.C. round seven days earlier - thus giving them valued match practice at provincial level - the Westmeath champions will undoubtedly reflect on the 14 minute dismissal of influential full-back John Cunningham as a critical factor in bringing what has been a superlative season for the club to a halt in the driving wind, rain, and bitter cold of Timahoe.Winter certainly arrived with a vengeance at many venues last weekend. Timahoe, situated in the hill country of South Laois, was certainly no exception. This game, a home fixture for the Ballyroan Abbey Club, was switched to the venue of this year"s county senior football finalists on Sunday morning due to waterlogging. But while due credit must be given to the Timahoe club for the playability of the field, there were times during the opening half of this midland derby when referee Alan McKenna could have called an end to proceedings due to the driving rain, icy wind and sheer hardship which epitomised conditions for both sets of protagonists. The good-sized crowd, including a large travelling support from the Lake County, had to endure the full ravages of the elements at a venue without a sliver of covered accommodation, while the horrendous weather conspired to make an absolute lottery of many passages of play through no fault of the respective teams.Against the background, Finbar Egan"s charges faced the full rigours of the merciless wind and rain in the opening half. They introduced Trevor Farrell and Kieran Martin at left half-back and left corner-forward respectively instead of Ronan Moran and John Reilly, both listed on the match programme, while the Laois side lined out as selected, still minus their talented forward Michael John Tierney.Maryland - playing a two-man full-forward line of Callum McCormack and Joe Harte, while deploying Kieran Martin as a third midfielder - made by far the better start to this quarter-final tie and, with team captain James Reynolds driving forward at every opportunity, the Blues were making light of the adverse elements. It took some slick defending by the Ballyroan backs to repulse this early onslaught, but they were caught out in the 4th minute of play when corner forward Joe Harte split his opponents" resistance, the ball breaking to Callum McCormack for the 17-year-old to give Ballyroan custodian Gary Scully no chance with a smashing goal.This was a truly outstanding start for the Drumraney men, but they were then subject to some intense pressure from resilient opposition who used their superior strength in vital positions to telling effect. Their midfield due of Dara Phelan and Alan Burnell were winning critical primary possession, and with full-forward Scott Conroy having the better of his duel as spearhead of the attack, the tide turned. The No. 14 opened his team"s account with a 6th minute free, following this up almost immediately with a superb point from play. A Thomas Browne-Joe Harte counter-attack almost brought another Maryland goal, but the 10th minute brought the equaliser when corner-forward Colm Lalor punished a foul on himself to tie the contest.For this reporter, the 14th minute was to ultimately prove a watershed in this match. A foul on a Ballyroan attacker by full-back John Cunningham saw referee Alan McKenna reach for his notebook, but while it looked, albeit from the opposite side, an altercation punishable by, at worst, a yellow card, there was consternation among the Maryland contingent when the No. 3 was given the ultimate sanction of a straight red. This was a terrible body-blow to the Westmeath standard bearers; numerical deficiency now combined with adversarial elements.Maryland management deployed centre back Eoin Farrell to the fringe of the square as the Ballyroan challenge received what was, for them, an unexpected boost. Strangely, and although now enjoying the lion"s share of the play, the supremacy didn"t translate into scores. Corner-forward Enda McDonald had a 20th minute point to edge his side ahead for the first time. But they would not score for 8 minutes, hitting a number of scoreable wides.Maryland battled strongly to stay in contention, but didn"t enjoy the best of fortunes with their finishing, and were dealt another blow late in the half when Eoin Farrell, a trojan pillar of resistance in his teams defence, was forced off injured. They were still well placed to forge ahead in the second half for although forced to play a man short, and conceding a 28th minute point to Enda McDonald, only two points (0-5 to 1-0) divided the teams at the short whistle, with wind advantage to follow on the resumption.With ground conditions deteriorating and light fading, the second half turned, for long periods, into a veritable war of attrition. Early opportunities came Maryland"s way, but a combination of poor finishing and little luck continued to conspire against them.Midfielder David Martin saw his efforts hitting the post, while his colleague in the centre of this park, David Reynolds, was narrowly off target in attempting to raise his side"s first white flag. Eoin Farrell resumed following his first-half injury to boost the Maryland rearguard, and entering the last quarter, they were still in pole position to launch a late winning rally.A worried-looking Ballyroan bench made two changes up front, but an old failing of Maryland, that of erratic finishing following impressive build-up, came back to haunt them as the winning post came in sight. Midfielder Dara Phelan was now playing a captain"s part in rallying his Ballyroan charges, and a brace of points (47th and 51st minutes) courtesy of Scott Conroy and Colm Lalor (free) put them four points ahead.Substitute Damien Reynolds was narrowly wide for Maryland and with Callum McCormack"s legitimate claim for a close-in free ignored by the referee, a Ballyroan defender was extremely fortunate to escape with a yellow card having felled his opponents in full view of the match official. Scott Conroy"s shot was adjudged wide by one umpire, but, on consultation, the point (57th minute) was allowed.Collectively those decisions did nothing to raise the morale of the Westmeath side, but they too took wrong options on occasions when in scoring positions. Callum McCormack was then dismissed for a second bookable offence, reducing Maryland to 13 players, and a minor melee on the other sideline then led to the red-carding of Ballyroan"s Tim Bergin.As the game edged into injury time, it was Ballyroan who eventually confirmed victory when John Madigan"s point brought their total to 9, against opponents who didn"t score in the second half. Ballyroan Abbey thus stayed in contention for the Leinster intermediate title, as they qualified for a semi-final tilt at either the Offaly or Kildare champions.Maryland certainly didn"t enjoy the rub of the green when it came to certain refereeing decisions, but one feels that this reverse will be soon forgotten in a year which brought deserved and hard-earned honours to this club.On a wet, windy and bitterly cold November day at Timahoe, goalie John Murray, Philip Rainey, Conor Farrell, Eoin Farrell, David Reynolds, David Martin, James Reynolds and Callum McCormack worked diligently.SCORERS - Ballyroan Abbey - S Conroy (0-4, 0-3 frees), C Lalor (0-2, 2 frees), E McDonald (0-2), J Madigan (0-1).Maryland: C McCormack (1-0).Ballyroan Abbey: Gary Scully, Eoin O"Brien, Enda Kearns, Niall Wallace, James Keegan, Rody McEvoy, Tim Bergin, Dara Phelan (capt), Alan Burnell, Mick Brennan, Danny Donohue, John Madigan, Colm Lalor, Scott Conroy, Enda McDonald. Subs: Pauric McMahon for McDonald; Sean Keegan for Brennan.Maryland: John Murray, Philip Rainey, John Cunningham, Conor Farrell, Ronan Farrell, Eoin Farrell, Trevor Farrell, David Reynolds, David Martin, Thomas Browne, Anthony Reynolds, James Reynolds (capt), Joe Harte, Callum McCormack, Kieran Martin. Subs: John Reilly for Anthony Reynolds; Aidan Reynolds for Eoin Farrell; Eoin Farrell for Browne; Damien Reynolds for Reilly.Referee: Alan McKenna (Louth), who issued a plethora of yellow cards for even the most trivial of offences, making little or no allowances for the horrendous conditions.