East Minor Football Championship

Macroom minors had a very hard fought win over Ballinora at the Castle Grounds in the first round of the Rebel Óg East Minor A football championship, extra time being necessary to produce an outcome on a Macroom 0-14  to Ballinora 1- 9 scoreline.  The opening quarter was very even and it was 0-3 each after 16 minutes, with Don Creedon, Cathal O’Riordan and Craig Ronan having the scores for Macroom.  Then Ballinora got through for a goal and added a point from a ‘45’ and could have had another goal but the defence recovered in time to smother the delayed shot.  In the run up to half time Macroom did well to get three points in a row, Don Creedon, Cathal O’Riordan and Alan Quinn the scorers, and the half time score of 1-4 to 0-6 slightly flattered Macroom but left them in a reasonable position if they could improve in the second half.  

Ballinora added a point to their lead on the restart but Don Creedon immediately had a fine point to keep Macroom in touch.  In the 41^st minute Ballinora again went two points clear and only good defending and bad shooting denied them further scores.  Alan Quinn, from a free, had a Macroom point in the 50^th minute and the home side now went all out for an equaliser which was greeted with a big home crowd cheer when landed by Jack O’Donovan in the 53^rd minute.  Try as they might, neither side could get a winner in the remaining seven minutes of exciting play and so the game went into twenty minutes of extra time.

In extra time, Cathal O’Riordan pointed a Macroom free after two minutes and Kevin O’Dwyer did likewise in the 9^th minute before Ballinora hit back with a point to make it 0-11 to 1-7 at half time.  Mark Corrigan then pointed for Macroom and Cathal O’Riordan’s point put them three points clear.  Back came Ballinora with a point from a free, Cathal O’Riordan pointed a Macroom free in reply.  Another Ballinora point left the visitors in search of a goal as time was running out and they did get the ball in the Macroom net but the score was disallowed and so Macroom survived a severe challenge to advance to play Mayfield in the second round.  

Macroom: Christy McCarthy: Cian Twomey, Paul O’Farrell, Ryan Creed: Jack Kelleher, Kevin O’Dwyer, Alex Ryan: Alan Quinn, Caleb Dinneen: Mark Corrigan, Don Creedon, Blake O’Gorman: Cathal O’Riordan, Robert Healy, Craig Ronan. Subs: Jack O’Donovan, Eolan O’Leary and Ethan O’Gorman.

Report: Brendan Kenneally