Commercials overcome Ballina to book their place in Tipperary Under 19A Football final

FBD Insurance County Under 19 A Football Championship Semi-Final

CLONMEL COMMERCIALS 3-14 BALLINA 0-9

A week on from the club’s 20th county senior final success, Clonmel Commercials' under 19s put the club in with a great shout of more silverware, when they proved too good for Ballina in the county semi-final played at Cappawhite on Sunday morning.

A very solid team performance saw the South Tipperary side emerge 14 points winners, comprehensively overturning the reigning champions who had beaten them in the county decider at The Ragg twelve months ago. What a difference the year has made in the development of the Clonmel squad who possessed too much class and physicality for their opponents, limiting them to just a single point from play over the sixty minutes.

On the splendid vast open pitch at Cappawhite, the early exchanges were tight as both sides weighed each other up with the first five scores of the game all coming from frees.

A Cathal O’Donnell free for Ballina in the opening minute was answered by a similar score from Commercials’ Cian Smith two minutes later. A further pair of frees from the excellent place-kicker O’Donnell and Jack Grace had the northerners two up by the 11th minute, before another free from Cian Smith reduced the Ballina advantage to the minimum, 0-3 to 0-2, a minute later.

Commercials’ hit the front for the first time with the game’s opening goal in the 14th minute. A move down the right wing saw Oisin Forristal deliver to Rory O’Dowd and the Commercials captain’s effort at a point dipped into the top corner over the reach of the advanced keeper. 

Three of the next four points went the way of Ballina, with two more frees from O’Donnell sandwiching a mark from Commercials' Ruairí Leahy, before Ballina had their first and only score from play in the 22nd minute. It came about following good work from Jack Grace who set up county minor Charlie King to score on the turn from 30 metres out, making the sides level again at 1-3 to 0-6,

But disaster struck for Ballina very soon afterwards. When Anthony Keely was fouled, his quick-thinking free released Peter McGarry on a run through the middle and the Commercials midfielder (one of just two, along with Cian Smith, to make an appearance in the senior final the previous Sunday) rammed home a piledriver low beyond goalkeeper Adam Fogarty for the lead. The first half scoring (2-4 to 0-6) was rounded off by a Ruarí Leahy mark after a good delivery by Kian O’Reilly.

The second half was a fairly lopsided affair, Commercials hitting 1-4 without reply inside the first eight minutes; the half-time introduction of Tadgh Sheehan strengthening an already solid line-up.

Two quick points from Peter McGarry and Cian Smith stretched the lead to six before the arrival of the Clonmel side’s third goal. Cian Smith and Anthony Keely were involved in the build-up, and with Keely’s effort at a fisted point going across the square, Kian O’Reilly was in the right place at the far post to finish off the move for a 3-6 to 0-6 lead in the 33rd minute.

Finding space now and using the width to good effect, Commercials began to dominate and O’Reilly and Smith added two more points from play to stretch the gap to 11 points seven minutes into the second period.

Ballina were struggling to get out beyond half-way and when they did the Commercials’ half-back line led by James Morris were denying them any real opportunities except from placed balls, two of which were converted by Jack Grace and Cathal O’Donnell. Those scores were just a temporary reprieve though, Commercials hitting the next five points from play, unanswered, to kill the game off completely with eight minutes remaining.

Oisin Forristal, Rory O’Dowd, Peter McGarry, Anthony Keely and Cian Smith were on target as Philly Ryan’s side turned the screw for a 3-13 to 0-8 advantage by the 52nd minute.

Ballina’s final score came from another Cathal O’Donnell free five minutes from time with the last score of the game, well-taken by substitute Cillian McNamara to send Commercials through to the county final where they will play either Thurles Sarsfields or Arravale Rovers.

This was a rock solid performance from Commercials whose keeper Shane Ryan was untested all day long. Besides those already mentioned, in defence Ross Slattery was always comfortable around the square while Darragh O’Connor did plenty of work in the half-back line. 

Ballina with only about half of last year’s team to call on gave it their all but were up against a physically powerful and hardworking team who had progressed significantly in the past year. There was no let up in the intensity from Commercials all day long.

Ballina gave their all and the likes of Kian Donnelly, Tristan Giroudiere, Shane Kelly (up to the time of his injury), James Frahill, Charlie King, Jack Grace and Cathal O’Donnell couldn’t be faulted for their workrate and commitment.

Clonmel Commercials:

Shane Ryan, Alex McSherry, Ross Slattery, Oisin Power, Rory O’Dowd (capt., 1-1), James Morris, Darragh O’Connor, Peter McGarry (1-2), Dean Cagney, Kian O’Reilly (1-1), Declan Nee, Anthony Keely (0-1), Oisin Forristal (0-1), Cian Smith (0-5, 0-2F), Ruairi Leahy (0-2, 0-1M)

Subs: Tadhg Sheehan for Cagney (half-time); Adam Brannigan for Power (50); Conor Guiry for O’Dwyer (50); Cillian McNamara (0-1) for Keely (55); Deji Williams for McSherry (55).

Ballina:

Adam Fogarty, Zach Egan, Kian Donnelly, Tristan Giroudiere, Ian Larkin, Cian Molloy, Shane Kelly, Charlie Grace, Daniel Tighe (capt), Cillian Ryan, Charlie King (01), James Frahill, Jack Grace (0-2F), Cathal O’Donnell (0-6F), Braoin Cleary.

Subs: JP Mokha for Egan (26 minutes); Conor Shanahan for Fogarty (39); Jack Quinn for Frahill (43); Zach Egan for Kelly (inj., 46); Cian O’Donoghue for Cleary (54); Brian Bourke for C. Grace (58).

Referee: Padraig Skeffington (Cashel King Cormacs).