Ballysteen: 2-8 South Liberties: 1-11

SOUTH Liberties and Ballysteen shared the spoils last Friday evening in Ballingarry in the County Intermediate football championship in front of one of the smallest attendances seen all year at an important GAA game.

Ballysteen dominated the early exchanges, but they were guilty of six bad wides in the opening ten minutes and all they had to show for it was a Maurice Sommers point, compared to South Liberties who landed three between the posts from Peadar Mulvihill (0-1), Alan Lee (0-1) and a pointed free by Brian Slattery.

With wind advantage Ballysteen eventually found the range and three points on the trot from Maurice Sommers (0-1), Kevin Purcell (0-1 free), Shane Hallinan (0-1), coupled with a brilliant goal from Pa Ranahan gave them a four point advantage, a lead they looked like having at the break until Brian Slattery fisted the ball to the net after a Kevin McAuliffe point effort that looked to be going wide.

There was the minimum between them when the halftime whistle sounded. On the resumption Shane Gallagher and Mark Keane traded points before Brian Slattery tied up the match with a cracking point.

At the midway point the teams were still deadlocked after Shane Hallinan and Mike Neville had exchanged points with Mark Keane and Kieran Carbery, before Keane who was causing all sort of problems for Ballysteen edged South Liberties two in front with two well taken scores from play.

It looked all over for Ballysteen when Kieran Carbery stretched their lead to three points with five minutes left but to Ballysteen’s credit they responded with another well taken goal by Shane Hallinan. At this stage and with the teams level South Liberties had the chance to finish the game when they were awarded a penalty but Mark Keane’s effort rattled the post. A Kieran Carbery pointed free followed, but right at the death Maurice Sommers levelled for the final time in a most enjoyable encounter.

Referee Ray Moloney Bruff handled the game well.

Ballysteen

Conor Ranahan, Rodger Sommers, Eamon Murphy, Declan Hayes, Padraig O’Shaughnessy, Brendan Hayes, Pa Ranahan, Kevin Purcell, Shane Gallagher, Mike Neville, Shane Hallinan, Anthony Ryan, Alan Kehoe, Pakie Neville, Maurice Sommers.

South Liberties

Paul Butler, Christy Lyons, Eamon Kirby, Sean Godfrey, Derek Grimes, Mike Keane, Paul O’Brien, Nial Shanahan, Peadar Mulvihill, Brian Slattery, Alan Lee, Kevin McAuliffe, Seanie Mulcahy, Mark Keane, Kieran Carbery.

Ballysteen scorers

Shane Hallinan (1-2), Pa Ranahan (1-0), Maurice Sommers (0-3), Shane Gallagher (0-1), Kevin Purcell (0-1 free), Mike Neville (0-1 free).

South Liberties scorers

Mark Keane (0-4), Brian Slattery (1-2, 0-1 free), Kieran Carberry (0-3), Alan Lee (0-1), Peadar Mulvihill (0-1).