Tipperary Town's Arravale Rovers come good in the second half to defeat Ballyporeen

Arravale Rovers 2-13 Ballyporeen 1-12

Arravale Rovers staged a good second half comeback to take the spoils in this FBD Insurance County Senior Football Championship Round 2, Group 3 game at New Inn on Saturday afternoon.

Played before an estimated attendance of around 70 patrons, this game never reached the heights one would associate with championship football. With both sides having been defeated in their opening Round 1 games, a win here was imperative for progression to the knockout stages.

The opening half was a dour affair, with a lot of negative football from both sides and possession the name of the game. Ballyporeen were four to the good at the break, 1-5 to 0-4, the goal coming from Glen Walsh after 27 minutes when he finished a good move.

The game picked up considerably for the second period, with both sides reverting to some good attacking football while kicking some good scores, Tommy Sweeney in particular landing two huge points for Ballyporeen.

This game was effectively won and lost in a six-minute period immediately after the interval, when Arravale hit 1-3, the goal coming from Alex Webster. Paddy Dalton had a big say in the destination of the spoils, as from the start he pulled the strings in the Arravale attack and caused a lot of problems for the Ballyporeen defence.

Scores were hard to come by during the opening period, with Arravale in particular giving away the ball in the half forward line on numerous occasions with their short passing game. The sides were on level terms for the third time after 20 minutes at 0-3 each before the Ballyporeen goal put daylight between the sides.

The game needed something to lift the atmosphere after the break and Arravale certainly upped their game and started in a positive fashion with three points in four minutes, which was followed by a green flag. Kieran Macken in the Ballyporeen goal saved brilliantly from Brian Jones after 40 minutes as Arravale kept up the momentum.

The teams were on level terms on three further occasions as the play swung from end to end, with Conor Sweeney always posing a threat to the Rovers defence.

Coming down the straight, only a point separated the sides and a draw looked on the cards, but the West side got in for goal number two following their best move of the game to clinch the points.

Following this victory Arravale go into Round 3 in a positive state of mind with a spot in the knockout stages a distinct possibility.

Arravale got the scoreboard moving inside the opening minute when Shane Leahy finished off a move from a Brendan Delaney run up-field. Conor Sweeney equalised from a placed ball two minutes later. What followed then was a period of negative tactics, with neither side willing to have a go. Arravale, in particular gave away easy ball on at least seven occasions in their half forward line.

Darragh Lyons eased Ballyporeen to the front when he finished off a move involving Conor Sweeney and Darragh Brennan, before Eoghan Lonergan brought the sides level for the second time. Paddy Dalton was causing problems for the Ballyporeen defence with his direct running but this was not being reflected on the scoreboard. Dalton kicked the first of his three points on 18 minutes and was one of the few Arravale forwards willing to have a go during this opening period.

Tommy Sweeney kicked a wonder point before Charlie English put over from around 45 meters, as the South men upped their game. With three minutes of normal time remaining before the break, Darragh Brennan set up Glen Walsh to beat Darren Heuston for the game’s opening goal. Paddy Dalton kicked his second minor before Conor Sweeney closed out the first half scoring with an injury time point, leaving the half time score, Ballyporeen 1-5, Arravale Rovers 0-4.

From the throw-in at the start of the second half, both teams were intent on attacking the opposition in a direct manner.
Arravale were quickly into attack mode, with Micheál Lowry splitting the posts after two minutes. Johnny Ryan came more into the game and was involved in the next two attacks, first setting up Eoghan Lonergan who put Niall Sharpe through for a minor, and then bringing Brendan Delaney into a move that finished with a good score, to reduce the deficit to the minimum.

Six minutes after the break Alex Webster got inside the Ballyporeen cover to slot home a goal, which put Rovers two up.
Conor Sweeney pulled one back for the South side with a wonderful point. Brian Jones brought the best out of Kieran Macken in the Ballyporeen goal to keep his side in the game before Conor Sweeney tied the game for the fourth time on 41 minutes.

For the next ten minutes the game ebbed and flowed. Darren Heuston put over a long range free for Rovers before Conor Sweeney, from open play, once again equalised.

Paddy Dalton finished an Arravale move with a fisted point, before Tommy Sweeney kicked what was one of the scores of the game to bring the sides level for what would be the final time. Matthew Moroney did good work before picking out the in-running Shane Leahy for his second minor before Eoin Doocey put two between them. Doocey had been coming more into the game and kicked a second point following a Conor Sweeney converted placed ball.

With two minutes of normal time remaining Tommy Sweeney finished off a Ballyporeen move out of defence to leave the minimum between the teams.

A good move out of defence by Cian Ryan got Niall Sharpe on the ball and he set up Alex Webster for goal number two, as the clock moved towards 60 minutes. Conor Sweeney put over his seventh minor of the day from a placed ball but man of the match Alex Webster closed out the scoring with a point four minutes into added time.

Scorers: Arravale Rovers: Alex Webster (2-1), Paddy Dalton (0-3), Eoin Doocey (0-2), Shane Leahy (0-2), Darren Heuston (0-1 free), Brendan Delaney (0-1), Micheál Lowry (0-1), Niall Sharpe (0-1), Eoghan Lonergan (0-1).

Ballyporeen: Conor Sweeney (0-7, 4 frees), Tommy Sweeney (0-3), Glen Walsh (1-0), Darragh Lyons (0-1), Charlie English (0-1).

Arravale Rovers: Darren Heuston, Tommy Lowry (captain), Darren Lowry, Jack Lowry, Johnny Ryan, Shane Leahy, Micheál Lowry, Eoin Doocey, Matthew Moroney, Brendan Delaney, Brian Jones, Niall Sharpe, Eoghan Lonergan, Paddy Dalton, Alex Webster.

Subs: Cian Ryan for Brian Jones, Tony Byrnes for Miceál Lowry.

Ballyporeen: Kieran Macken, John Ryan, James Barry, Paudie Fitzgerald, Charlie English, Tomás Vaughan, Mikey Maher, Dean Finn (captain), Riain O’Callaghan, Glen Walsh, Darragh Brennan, John Carey, Darragh Lyons, Tommy Sweeney, Conor Sweeney.

Subs: Sam McGrath for Riain O’Callaghan (20), Anthony Crotty for John Ryan (37), Danny English for Glen Walsh (55), Eoin Kearney for Paudie Fitzgerald (58).

Referee: Joe Leahy (Moyne Templetuohy).