Davitts 3-11  Ballinrobe 0-12

Davitts U-21 team ensured they qualified for the knockout stages of the A Championship following a hard-earned victory over Ballinrobe on Sunday morning. The game was played in Cong and while the playing conditions were far from perfect, both teams need to be lauded for serving up a very good game for the early risers that attended (10 am throw-in!).

A point for Ballinrobe after thirty seconds was cancelled out by Jack Trench two minutes later. Dylan Gallagher, who had a superb game, popped over another Davitts point in the 4^th minute and in the 7^th minute Davitts got the first of their three goals. A brilliant move involving several players was finished to the net by wing-back Brian Birmingham, who applied a cool finish to the bottom corner. In the 10^th minute Jack Melvin slotted goal number two, after great work by Conor McDermott and Dylan Gallagher. Ballinrobe shot four unanswered points between the 13^th and 20^th minutes to reduce the deficit to three points. Ballinrobe were winning plenty of possession but the Davitts attack was extremely efficient. Dylan Gallagher pointed in the 23^rd minute and Fionn McLoughlin extended Davitts lead to four with a 25^th minute point. Ballinrobe scored two more in the final couple of minutes to leave Davitts ahead by 2-4 to 0-8 at half-time.

Ballinrobe scored the first point after the break but Davitts scores from the hard-working Niall Treacy and Jack Melvin in the 33^rd and 37^th minutes put their side ahead by three. Niall Treacy pointed again in the 40^th minute but Ballinrobe scored two in the 43^rd and 46^th minutes to close the gap to two points. They were denied a goal to take the lead by a fantastic save from Davitts excellent keeper Dylan O Brien. Terrific defending by Davitts ensured that Ballinrobe didn’t score for the remainder of the game. Ciaran Treacy, a most impressive sub, linked up with Zack Keadin to point in the 47^th minute and Dylan Gallagher shot three more as the Ballinrobe challenge petered out. The final score of the game was the third Davitts goal finished to the net by Fionn McLoughlin after a goalmouth scramble in the sixth minute of added on time.

This Davitts win saw them top the group on score difference over Claremorris. Both teams are awaiting the draw for the knockout phase. Davitts stand-out players in this game were Charlie Phillips, Sean Keadin, Thomas Ronayne, Jack Melvin, Dylan Gallagher, Fionn McLoughlin, Niall Treacy and Conor McDermott.

Davitts: Dylan O Brien, Micheal Hett, Charlie Phillips, Sean Keadin, Fionnan Gallagher, Thomas Ronayne, Brian Birmingham (1-0), Mark Birmingham, Jack Melvin (1-1), Brian Og McTigue, Fionn McLoughlin (1-1), Jack Trench (0-1), Dylan Gallagher (0-5), Niall Treacy (0-2), Conor McDermott. Subs used: Ciaran Treacy (0-1), Zack Keadin, Sean Feerick, Ronan Kelly.