Noel and John McGrath absence makes no difference as Loughmore breeze past Ballina in quarter

FBD Insurance Senior Football Championship quarter-final

Loughmore Castleiney 3-18

Ballina 0-12

Ballina were unable to stall the Loughmore Castleiney machine as the defending champions eased to victory in this Tipperary Senior Football Championship quarter-final in Roscrea on Sunday.

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For a brief spell early in the contest when Ballina opened a 0-4 to 0-2 lead, playing into the stiff breeze, a contest looked on but once Loughmore Castleiney got into their groove, the outcome was determined from a long way out.

It was a victory also achieved without Noel and John McGrath who were kept in reserve and ended up enjoying a weekend off as once again Loughmore Castleiney showed they are a team more than a group of individuals.

Much like in hurling, they appear to have found another level this season, particularly in terms of athleticism as Ballina struggled to come with their hard, penetrative runs, while they also showed themselves adept at playing to the now official new rules, particularly the two-pointer.

A third successive quarter final defeat for Ballina who would have been hoping to have won the toss and maybe gone in at half time with a lead. They needed all the breaks to go their way to cause an upset, including a goal chance inside the first minute from Eoghan Power that flew just wide.

They did show themselves patient on the ball, into the elements which yielded a point from Steven O’Brien to cancel out Mossie McGrath’s opener for the Mid men.

Eamon Connolly nudged Loughmore back in front before Conor Power equalised on five minutes, after one of a number of kick-outs won by JP Mbokha Tansia, one of the leading performers for Ballina.

Eoghan Power was prominent in the early going and after winning a free, Steven O’Brien converted for a two-pointer for a two point lead after seven minutes.

However, this would be the high point for Ballina who wouldn’t score again until just before the break, by which time Loughmore reeled off thirteen unanswered, including four two-pointers, three from Liam McGrath, including two from placed balls from outside the arc, with Liam Treacy also raising an orange flag.

Loughmore also got to grips on the middle of the field and the early joy in the air of Tansia and O’Brien was curbed, thereby reducing Ballina’s ability to get their hands on the ball.

Liam McGrath was a menace for the Ballina defence as he scored nine points in the first half, while one of his one-pointers was only inches away from being a goal. Philip O’Connell also added his name to the scoresheet as they led 0-15 to 0-4 by the time Steven O’Brien registered a point just on half time.

Ballina’s suffered a further set-back with Charlie King sustaining a foot injury late in the first half which forced him into the attack in the second half, and battled on gamely, slotting over a two-pointer on 38 minutes which brought the deficit back to 0-16 to 0-8 after John Ryan and Steven O’Brien traded points.

There was a whiff of a possible fightback but Loughmore snuffed that out on 42 minutes which they first goal, Brian McGrath combining with Eamon Connolly to fire to the roof of the net.

Ballina didn’t drop the leads a converted free from Steven O’Brien and a two-pointer from play from the Tipp captained cancelled out the first goal but the second wasn’t long in coming as a penetrating run from the impressive Tommy Maher let to Philip O’Connell goaling from close range on 48 minutes.

Ballina almost had something to shout about a minute later when lively substitute Charlie Grace was unlucky to see a dipping shot from twenty yards come back off the post with Shane Hennessy well beaten.

Loughmore added a further 1-2 in the closing stages with the prominent Ciaran Connolly getting on the scoresheet before another Tommy Maher run in from the wing ended with Eamon Connolly raising a green flag on 54 minutes.

Liam McGrath rounded off his and his sides scoring with his tenth point with Steven O’Brien bringing his tally to nine as Ballina’s campaign comes to an end while Loughmore/Castleiney’s quest for the double-double remains firmly on track.

Loughmore Castleiney: Shane Hennessy; Willie Eviston, Lorcan Egan, Eoin O’Connell; John Ryan (0-1), Ed Meagher, Tommy Maher; Liam Treacy (0-3, 1x2pt), Ciaran Connolly (0-1); Ed Connolly, Eamon Connolly (1-1), Brian McGrath (1-0); Liam McGrath (0-10, 1x2pt, 2x2ptf), Tomas McGrath (0-1), Philip O’Connell (1-1).

Subs used: Conor Ryan for T McGrath (54); Ciaran McGrath for Ed Connolly (54); Aidan McGrath for P O’Connell (56); Conor McGrath for L McGrath (56); Joe Hennessy for Eviston (58).

Ballina: Dara King; Paddy O’Donovan, Zak Egan, David Coughlan; Thomas Shanahan, Charlie King (0-2, 1x2play), Terry O’Halloran; JP Mbokha Tansia, Steven O’Brien (0-9, 1x2pt, 1x2ptf, 0-3f); Finn Looney, Josh Egan, Conor Power (0-1); Teddy Doyle, Eoghan Power, Jack O’Mahony.

Subs used: David Kelly for O’Halloran (36); Charlie Grace for Looney (36); Ben King for O’Mahony (41); Cathal O’Donnell for J Egan (50); Paddy Bradley for C King (56).

Referee: Joe Leahy (Moyne Templetuohy)

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