Nurney battle back to beat Ballyteague
Jimmy Hyland in action during the first half. Photo: James Lawlor.
Shot-putt champion Theo Hanlon proved he is a man of many talents as his six-point haul from three two-pointers helped Nurney bounce back from a seven-point second half deficit to a crucial win over Ballyteague at Manguard Park on Saturday. The win keeps their hopes alive of qualifying from Group C of the National Electrical Wholesalers Intermediate Football Championship.
It was no one man show, with the Hagney brothers Cathal and Tadhg also instrumental in Nurney coming out on top in a clash of two teams who had lost their opening group games, while opponents Ballyteague were once again heavily dependent on the scoring of star forward Jimmy Hyland, who weighed in with ten points in another outstanding display.
Ballyteague will wonder how they let this one slip. They recovered from a Tadhg Hagney goal and Hanlon two-pointer to fire over four two-pointers to lead by 0-11 to 1-6 at the interval. And with Nurney down to 14 after Hyland’s marker Noel Lawlor was black-carded just before the interval, the Larks stretched their advantage by a further five points in Lawlor’s absence.
His return marked the end of that run, however, and Hanlon raised two orange flags with booming efforts from way out the field, his second levelling matters at 1-13 to 0-16 with five minutes remaining.
When full-back Ryan Webb fouled Cathal Hagney two minutes later there was no one Nurney supporters would have preferred to see standing over the ball than the ageless Mikey Conway and he stroked over the two-point free with minimal fuss.
Nurney turned over the subsequent kickout and worked it into Tadhg Hagney to make it a three-point game.
Ballyteague could only manage a free from Hyland, their first score in 25 minutes, and it was not enough to prevent them going down to a second defeat, with the Intermediate 'B' championship now looming for them with a final round clash with Grangenolvin to come in a fortnight.
An even start had seen the influential county star Cathal Hagney open the scoring with Hyland getting out in front of Lawlor to equalise. Conway stroked one over off the outside of his trusty left foot before Hyland’s free made it two apiece.
The only goal of the game came on 13 minutes and was conceived in the Hagney household. Cathal slipped Tadhg through with a clever handpass and the latter finished superbly into the top left corner.
Hyland was the focal point of most Ballyteague attacks and he replied with his third point, but when Cathal Hagney was fouled, Hanlon stepped up to convert a two-point free with aplomb. That made it 1-4 to 0-3 on 16 minutes but Ballyteague were about to get the orange flag moving.
Impressive wing-back Fionn Murphy raised the first and Hyland the second, both from play, before Brian ‘Hopper’ McGrath registered another from a free and Hyland brought his first-half tally to 0-7 with his second two-pointer despite being off-balance.
Nurney had kept in touch with a point apiece from Tadhg Hagney and Andrew Behan to trail by just two at the interval, but with the numerical disadvantage they seemed to be cast adrift as two points apiece from Murphy and Hyland and a free from ‘Hopper’ pushed Ballyteague seven clear.
But Hanlon’s first orange flag on 42 minutes gave them inspiration and from there to the end they took control to run out deserved winners ahead of a crucial final round clash with Milltown.
Eoghan Fitzpatrick; Noel Lawlor, Daragh Conway, Neil Kelly; Ciaran Callan, Brian Reilly 0-1, Steven Conway; Tadhg Hagney 1-2, Cathal Hagney 0-1; Damien Berns, Mikey Conway 0-4 (1tpf), Owen Kealey; Sean Murphy, Theo Hanlon 0-6 (2tpf, 1tp), Andrew Behan 0-1 (f).
Kevin Conway 0-1 for O Kealey (39), Daniel Kealey for Berns (50), Ross O’Malley for Behan (54).
James Walsh; Daniel Grogan, Ryan Webb, Luke Jacob; Conor Somers, Páraic Hanley, Fionn Murphy 0-4 (1tp); Gerry Melia, Thomas Callan; Conor Hanley, Brian McGrath 0-3 (1tpf), Glen Thorpe; Stephen Ennis, Cathal Hanifin, Jimmy Hyland 0-10 (2tp, 3f).
Barry Dempsey for C Hanley (50), Cian Loughlin for Hanifin (51), James Lambe for Thorpe (59).
Billy O’Connell.
