Ballinrobe 3-12  Davitts 1-10

Ballinrobe proved too strong for Davitts in this Senior League Div 1A match played in Ballinrobe on Thursday evening. Both sides were short a number of players but a good start, scoring two goals in the first ten minutes, and five unanswered points in the last seven minutes of the game, saw the home side take both league points after a very lively encounter.

The impressive Darragh McGale opened the scoring with a first minute point. Ballinrobe points in the 3^rd and 4^th minutes put them ahead with Mark Birmingham equalising in the 5^th minute. The home side got the first of their three goals a minute later with a second goal in the tenth minute and a thirteenth minute point putting them seven ahead. Fenton Kelly, making a welcome return after a long injury lay-off, scored a good Davitts point in the 18^th minute but the home side replied with two. Davitts scored a well-worked goal in the 24^th minute, when Fenton Kelly and Darragh McGale combined cleverly to set up midfielder Jack Melvin for a tap in goal at the far post. Darragh McGale narrowed the deficit to four points in the 26^th minute but a third Ballinrobe goal two minutes later, after a lightening counter-attack left the locals ahead by 3-5 to 1-4 at half-time.

Jack Melvin pointed for Davitts in the third minute of the second half but this was cancelled out by a similar Ballinrobe score a minute later. Davitts really took the game to the local side in the next twenty minutes with Fionnan Gallagher, Brian Birmingham, Thomas Ronayne, Jack Melvin, Tommy Waldron, Darragh McGale and second half sub Ciaran Treacy leading the charge. Ciaran Treacy, Jack Melvin (2) and Darragh McGale (2) scored points between the 37^th and 46^th minutes to reduce the home side’s lead to two. A 47^th minute Ballinrobe point put them three ahead and some great defending by the home team kept the Davitts lads at bay before Ballinrobe shot five more points in the last six minutes of an entertaining game.

Davitts: Dylan O Brien, Jordan Flanagan, Fionnan Gallagher, Brian Birmingham, Brian Óg McTigue, Thomas Ronayne, Sean Keadin, Mark Birmingham (0-1), Jack Melvin (1-3), Brian Clarke, Fenton Kelly (0-1), Tommy Waldron, Darragh McGale (0-4), Ronan McNamara, Fionn McLoughlin. Subs used: Ciaran Treacy (0-1), Kieran Fahy, Jack Devane, Michael Hett, Donie Ronayne.