Ballyporeen prove much too strong for Kiladangan in Tipperary senior football championship

Ballyporeen 4-22

Kiladangan 0-4

Ballypooreen got their county senior football championship campaign back on track with a heavy drubbing of Kiladangan in their second round of group two clash at Boherlahan.

Both had lost their opening games, Ballyporeen to J K Brackens and Kiladangan to Ardfinnan, so a win was imperative in this clash to retain hopes of making the knock-out stages.

It was clear from the start that Ballyporeen were more in tune with the demands of the situation and by half-time, at which stage they led 1-10 to 0-3, they had this brace of points secure, allowing their management to use the full complement of subs in the second half.

It was all too easy for the South lads who will face neighbours Ardfinnan in the final game of the round-robin series and that should be  a thriller given what is likely to be riding on the result at that time. A sterner test here would surely have been of greater help to the winners, but their margin of victory thirty points, could be very valuable when the decisive placings are being determined.

It took Ballyporeen fourteen minutes to strike the first significant blow, Conor Sweeney finishing off a neat four-man move with a goal for a 1-3 to 0-1 lead. The county man was the leader as Ballyporeen quickly put themselves out of reach, ably assisted by Darragh Lyons. They were 1-8 to 0-3 ahead in the 26th minute when Kiladangan’s Keith Brennan, who had scored their opening point after ten minutes, was grounded but Pairic Kelly’s penalty cannoned off the woodwork. How Kiladangan need a goal  from that chance to boost morale. Instead, Ballyporeen added a few more points for an interval lead of 1-10 to 0-3.

What slim chance Kiladangan had of recovering from the first half mauling vanished in the opening five minutes of the second half as Christy English added two further Ballyporeen goals. English might have had a hat-trick in the 48th minute but Kiladangan goalie Michael Ryan did well to save his rasper only for the ball to fall to Conor Sweeney who hoofed it to the net.

To their credit Kiladangan battled away for the closing ten minutes but by then they had withdrawn a number of their players who had a hurling fixture on their agenda. Their final game is against J K Brackens and the spectre of a relegation dog-fight is looming.

Ballyporeen will be happy enough with their win but conscious of shortcomings that stronger opponents will expose. Conor Sweeney and Christy English took the main attacking honours but the work of Darragh Lyons, Anthony Crotty, John O Callaghan,  and Dean Finn also made significant contributions to the victory. Their only real concern was an injury to John Martin which forced him off in the second half and they will be hoping he will be ready for action again before the next round.

Kiladangan have a big fight on their hands to retain their senior status as they seek to compete at senior level in both hurling and football. Hurling has first call in the parish but the club meets its footballing commitments commendably, even if they are a bit out of their depth against the footballing strongholds. They never matched the pace and purpose of their rivals in this contest but Dan O Meara, Tom O Meara, Garry Byrne,Keith Brennan and goalie Michael Ryan did their best to stem the tide.

Scorers Ballyporeen – C Sweeney (2-8, 0-3fs), C English (2-3); D Lyons, S Crotty,T Vaughan(0-2 each); B Breedy. R O Callaghan, T Sweeney, J Martin, D O Dwyer(0-1 each);

Kiladangan scorers – P Kelly(f), G Byrne, K Brennan, D O Meara(0-1 each);

Ballyporeen – Kieran Macken; Shane Molan, Eoin Kelly, Eoin Morrissey; Dean Finn, John O Callaghan, Bobby Breedy; Rian O Callaghan, Tommy Sweeney; Darragh Lyons, John Martin, Anthony Crotty; Christy English, Conor Sweeney, Tommy Vaughan; Subs – Fionan O Sulivan for Martin(41mins); Michael Sweeney for Macken (45mins);Aaron Macken for Morrissey(50 mins), Oisin O Brien for Molan(52mins); Darren O Dwyer for Breedy(53 mins)

Kiladangan  Michael Ryan; Darragh Butler, James Quigley, Seanie Hackett; Darren Ryan, Garry Byrne, Declan McGrath; Miceal Ryan, Tom O Meara; Liam Hayes, Dan O Meara, Fergal Hayes; Eoin Kelly, Pairic Kelly, Keith Brennan; Subs – Michael Quigley for Kelly(H/T), Martin Minihan for T O Meara; Tommy Connors for D O Meara and Eddie Fogarty for J Quigley, all 36 mins;

 Ref – Tom Loughnane, Thurles Gaels.