AIB Ballincollig
sponsored-Junior A Football League final
Ballincollig 1-13
Dripsey 0-5
In the last game of the year
Ballincollig finally landed some 2008
silverware and in doing so bridged a
36-year gap to the last time the club
bagged the Junior A league title.
Playing a fine brand of high-tempo, hard
running football, an energetic
Ballincollig team, which had just the
right blend of youth and experience,
were the better side from the throw-in
when Kieran O'Toole set up Ciarán
O'Sullivan for a great point.
The crucial score was Ian Coughlan's
first-half goal, where he yet again
showed what a great finisher he is, by
slipping the ball past the keeper at the
near post. That green flag meant John
Kelly's team were 1-4 to 0-4 up front at
the break, with Killian Kelliher and
Kealan Hickey also pointing.
The defence was on top throughout, with
the full-back line in miserly form,
conceding just a point from play all
game, while minor Liam Jennings showed
real potential anchoring the centre-back
berth.
Despite being short John Noonan, Dave
McCarthy and Rob Ryan the Collig showed
a lot of quality throughout and in
midfield U21s Ciarán O'Sullivan and JP
Murphy had a firm grip.
The team continued where they left off
after the restart with Hickey, Coughlan,
Kelliher and Colm Cronin clipping over
some neat points. Midway through the
second half the championship runners-up,
whose priority is the upcoming Munster
club junior hurling final, had a period
of dominance but thanks to more tight
defending it only yielded a point.
At that juncture, with the score 1-8 to
0-5, a goal would have opened the game
back up, but Ballincollig kicked on,
Hickey (2), O'Sullivan, Paul McCarthy
and sub Colm O'Connor rattled off five
points to seal an emphatic win.
Afterwards captain John Kelleher, who
marshalled 'Psycho's Army' all season,
signed off from the top in style by
collecting the league trophy from
Muskerry chairman Frank McCarthy. It was
a great and highly encouraging 60
minutes, and as Frank McCarthy observed,
there were plenty of players who showed
the ability and guts to contest for
senior positions next season.
Scorers: Ian
Coughlan 1-2, Kealan Hickey 0-4 (0-1 f),
Killian Kelliher, Ciarán O'Sullivan 0-2
each, Colm Cronin, Paul McCarthy, Colm
O'Connor 0-1 each.
Team: Louis
Nolan; Brendan Fitzgerald, Noel O'Toole,
Conor Barrett; Andrew O'Connell, Liam
Jennings, Colm Cronin; JP Murphy, Ciarán
O'Sullivan; Killian Kelliher, Kieran
O'Toole, Kealan Hickey; Paul McCarthy, Ian
Coughlan, John 'Psycho' Kelleher (captain).
Subs: Colm
O'Connor, Andrew Kelly, Con Breen, Brendan
McDonnell.
Higher Education League final
Garda College 0-12
CIT 1-6
A Ballincollig man was always guaranteed to
finish with a medal in Tuesday's game in
Kildorrery, with John Miskella lining out
for Garda College and Steve O'Donoghue and
Noel Galvin starting for Cork IT, in this
third level division one league final.
While the competition isn't as prestigious
as the Sigerson itself, which takes place in
the New Year, it was a still a high profile
game, with both sides looking to land their
first senior title. In the finish it was
John Miskella, who bagged a point from
wing-forward, who was celebrating at
full-time.
All the Ballincollig players acquitted
themselves well, with Steve O'Donoghue
playing at centre-back and Noel Galvin at
corner-back, where he had a right old battle
with Douglas' Mark Harrington.
Well done to all three players, and
particularly John Miskella, who seems set
for a great 2009 with club, county and
college.
Selectors
for 2009
The bulk of the managers and selectors were appointed at the last committee meeting, however the minor management teams have still to be selected. The senior committee has decided to go with a traditional system of separate management teams for minor hurling and minor football for next season, after it was agreed the work-load and demands were too much for one management to run efficiently.
Anyone interested should contact John Kelly on 086-0611901
