Sat 18th July 2020

Senior Football League Div 3 Round 1

FT: Ballymore 1-13 Straffan 1-13

The 2020 Senior Football League finally began tonight with a home tie for Ballymore against Straffan.

Ballymore got the first three points of the match from Gareth Clarke and Niall Murphy (x2). Straffan got the next two points, then Ballymore were awarded a penalty. The shot was saved by Straffan’s goalkeeper but Tadhg Barrett was quick on the rebound to bury the ball in the back of the net. Ballymore 1-03 Straffan 0-02. Caolan Halpin got the next point for Ballymore then Straffan converted a free to reduce the gap to 4. Ballymore got the next three points from Stephen Dwyer, Aaaron Deegan and Niall Murphy to go 1-07 to 0-03 ahead. Straffan got the final two points of the first half. HT: Ballymore 1-07 Straffan 0-05

Substitute Simon Murphy got the first score of the second half, then Straffan scored a goal. Niall Murphy got one for Ballymore then Straffan replied with two in a row to reduce the gap to two, 1-09 to 1-07. The Straffan goalkeeper made some brilliant saves to deny Ballymore a second goal and Straffan got two more points to level the match. Points from Niall Murphy and Ronan O’Malley gave us a two point league but Straffan scored two more themselves to make it 1-11 each. Straffan went one ahead again then Ballymore scored two, from Niall Murphy and Caolan Halpin to go one up with just a few minutes remaining. Straffan got the final point of the match to make the full time score Ballymore 1-13 Straffan 1-13.

Ballymore: Tommie Archbold Kevin Kelleher Mark Barrett Stephen Davis Michael Stewart Byrne David McAtamney Caolan Halpin (0-02) Tadhg Grace Patrick Murphy Stephen Dwyer (0-01) Niall Murphy (0-06) Brian Crowe Tadhg Barrett (1-00) Gareth Clarke (0-01) Aaron Deegan (0-01) Subs: Simon Murphy (0-01) for Aaron Deegan Ronan O’Malley (0-01) for Tadhg Barrett Liam Broderick for Tadhg Grace Callum McClintock for Patrick Murphy Ben Noone for Stephen Dwyer

• Gillian Murphy