SENIORS TOP TABLE

For the second game running, Ballybay overcame a deficit early in the second half to emerge with the 2 points and are now top of the table in Group One. This victory away in Scotstown was hard won and is a real testament to the squad. Ballybay started brightly and points from Ciaran Galligan, Paddy O’Neill, Tiernan McSkean and Paul Finlay put them 0-4 v 0-1 up after 10 minutes. Scotstown gradually came back into it but frees from Christopher McGuinness and Paul Finlay kept Ballybay noses in front until just before half time when a well taken Scotstown goal left the home side a point ahead at the break, 1-4 v 0-6.
Scotstown took complete control at the start of the second half and extended their lead to 7 points, 2-7 v 0-6. Things seemed bleak and the game was in danger of fizzling out but Paul Finlay, not for the first time, dug us out of trouble. He first pointed a 45 and then rose majestically in the large parallelogram to field the ball, fed Julius Sniaukata who coolly finished to the net, and then scored a mark, suddenly the deficit had been cut to 2. Christopher McGuinness shaved the Scotstown crossbar with a fierce shot to leave the minimum between the sides. Thomas Kerr, who was dominating in the middle, then pointed a 45 to level the scores and after Dara McCann had seen his goal bound shot well saved by the Scotstown keeper, Tommy scored another 45 to put us a point up. Paul then marked a clever pass from Tommy to increase the lead to 2. Christopher was then fouled in the act of shooting and Paul took his total to 0-6 with the free.
Scotstown threw the kitchen sink at Ballybay for the final few minutes but resolute defending resulted in the concession of a single point and the final whistle saw Ballybay emerge victorious 1-13 to 2-8.
Team and Scorers – D Caraher, A Dixon, T McSkean (0-1), M Hannon, M McArdle, B Wylie, S Monaghan, C Lennon, C Galligan (0-1), T Kerr (0-2), S McGuinness, P O’Neill (0-1), P Finlay (0-6), C McGuinness (0-2), D McCann.
Subs – J Sniaukata (1-0) for A Dixon, T Keenan for S Monaghan and T O’Neill for P O’Neill