Saturday evening saw a nice crowd travel to Dunganny for the final round of the SFC group stages.
It was all to play for for both teams a win for either team saw them exit the group stages and into this year's quarter-finals, while for the other team it was the end of the season but knew they would be returning next year for Senior Football.
An evening that had a though wind for both teams to battle got underway as the cloclk struck 6pm. Ball thrown-in Senechalstown came out with it turned and slotted it straight over the black spot witihin the first 15 seconds of the game. The Bracks won their kick out start up the field to find Danny Quinn who testing the conditions pumped the ball into the air nicely to raise the orange flag. Game on. Both teams taking time to settle into the game before Ballinabrackey gave away a penatly with 4 minutes gone in the game. After a lenghty, required, stopped Senechalstown were forced to into making an early change. Nerves on tender hooks, the ref's whistle went for the penatly to be taken. Dean Pluck judging it just right SAVED. It was Ballinabrackey who came with up with the next two scores, Danny Quinn from a placed ball and a lovely bit of team work saw Barry Thompson popping his over from play. The clock was ticking closer to 15 miutes gone before Senechalstown got their second score of the game, this one from a free. Which Danny Quinn answered with a point of his own. The game seemed to settle into a rhythm two points for Senechasltown, The Bracks answered with two themselves, Quinn aganin and Sean Kavanagh joinng the list of scorers. Senechalstown what was to be their last point of teh half as we entered injury time. A flurry of points for Ballinabrackey, 2 frees from Pluck one of whic was a two pointer, And one from play by Barry Thompson and a two-pointer from Damien Carroll sent them into the dressing room with a seven point gap, on a half-time score of Ballinabrackey 0-13 Senechalstown 0-06.
The Bracks came out of the dressing room like greyhounds out of the traps. Knowing this game was theirs for the win if they just kept their foot on the gas. Thress points from play, one each for Quinn, Niall Smullen and Chris O'Connor. Their was 15 minutes gone in the half before Senechalstown got going kicking their first score from a placed ball. This was quickly followed up by a point from play. 22 minutes gone and Ballinabrackey made their first sub with Shay Curry coming on for Thompson. Danny Quinn stepped up to pop over Ballinabrackey's next score from a free. It was Ballinabrackey who shot themselves in the foot when they were caught with only two players up, giving Senechalstown a two-pointed free. The final nail in the coffin was when Mark Coffey gave in a lovely ball into Sean Kavanagh who rattled the back of the Senechalstown net. Ciaran Giblin made a number of subs to rest players now that their place in the quarter-final was cemented, David Carroll, Danny Quinn and Richie Coffey all coming off for Dean Carroll, Dean Coyne and Cathal Monahan. This was to be the last act of the day. Giving The Bracks a 10 point win and waiting on the draw to see their opposition for the quarter-final.
Ballinabrackey - Dean Pluck (0-3 one two-point free, one free); Conor Ennis, Nicky Judge, Adam O'Brien; Richie Coffey, Sean Coffey, Mark Coffey; Leo Cullen, Niall Smullen (0-1); Danny Quinn (0-7 three frees, one two-pointer), Damien Carroll (0-2 one two-pointer), David Carroll; Barry Thompson (0-2), Chris O'Connor (0-1), Sean Kavanagh (1-1).
Subs - Seamus Curry for Thompson 50m, Dean Carroll for David Carroll, Dean Coyne for R Coffey, Cathal Monaghan for Quinn all 62m.
It was all to play for for both teams a win for either team saw them exit the group stages and into this year's quarter-finals, while for the other team it was the end of the season but knew they would be returning next year for Senior Football.
An evening that had a though wind for both teams to battle got underway as the cloclk struck 6pm. Ball thrown-in Senechalstown came out with it turned and slotted it straight over the black spot witihin the first 15 seconds of the game. The Bracks won their kick out start up the field to find Danny Quinn who testing the conditions pumped the ball into the air nicely to raise the orange flag. Game on. Both teams taking time to settle into the game before Ballinabrackey gave away a penatly with 4 minutes gone in the game. After a lenghty, required, stopped Senechalstown were forced to into making an early change. Nerves on tender hooks, the ref's whistle went for the penatly to be taken. Dean Pluck judging it just right SAVED. It was Ballinabrackey who came with up with the next two scores, Danny Quinn from a placed ball and a lovely bit of team work saw Barry Thompson popping his over from play. The clock was ticking closer to 15 miutes gone before Senechalstown got their second score of the game, this one from a free. Which Danny Quinn answered with a point of his own. The game seemed to settle into a rhythm two points for Senechasltown, The Bracks answered with two themselves, Quinn aganin and Sean Kavanagh joinng the list of scorers. Senechalstown what was to be their last point of teh half as we entered injury time. A flurry of points for Ballinabrackey, 2 frees from Pluck one of whic was a two pointer, And one from play by Barry Thompson and a two-pointer from Damien Carroll sent them into the dressing room with a seven point gap, on a half-time score of Ballinabrackey 0-13 Senechalstown 0-06.
The Bracks came out of the dressing room like greyhounds out of the traps. Knowing this game was theirs for the win if they just kept their foot on the gas. Thress points from play, one each for Quinn, Niall Smullen and Chris O'Connor. Their was 15 minutes gone in the half before Senechalstown got going kicking their first score from a placed ball. This was quickly followed up by a point from play. 22 minutes gone and Ballinabrackey made their first sub with Shay Curry coming on for Thompson. Danny Quinn stepped up to pop over Ballinabrackey's next score from a free. It was Ballinabrackey who shot themselves in the foot when they were caught with only two players up, giving Senechalstown a two-pointed free. The final nail in the coffin was when Mark Coffey gave in a lovely ball into Sean Kavanagh who rattled the back of the Senechalstown net. Ciaran Giblin made a number of subs to rest players now that their place in the quarter-final was cemented, David Carroll, Danny Quinn and Richie Coffey all coming off for Dean Carroll, Dean Coyne and Cathal Monahan. This was to be the last act of the day. Giving The Bracks a 10 point win and waiting on the draw to see their opposition for the quarter-final.
Ballinabrackey - Dean Pluck (0-3 one two-point free, one free); Conor Ennis, Nicky Judge, Adam O'Brien; Richie Coffey, Sean Coffey, Mark Coffey; Leo Cullen, Niall Smullen (0-1); Danny Quinn (0-7 three frees, one two-pointer), Damien Carroll (0-2 one two-pointer), David Carroll; Barry Thompson (0-2), Chris O'Connor (0-1), Sean Kavanagh (1-1).
Subs - Seamus Curry for Thompson 50m, Dean Carroll for David Carroll, Dean Coyne for R Coffey, Cathal Monaghan for Quinn all 62m.
