Report by Martin Delahunty
Graigue Ballycallan U14s finally got their 2016 campaign up and running with a long-awaited Football League game against O’Loughlin Gaels in Tom Ryall Park.
The game was played in perfect spring sunshine and the boys got off to a great start when Jack Butler found the net from long range. This settled the boys into their stride and they put together some great passages of play to create some decent scoring chances. Tom Brennan began to win ball on the half forward line and was rewarded for his efforts with 1-1 within a few minutes. With Eoin Delahunty, Dan Cahill and Liam Walsh dominant on the half back line O’Loughlins struggled to create many scoring chances. Scott Lawlor and Billy Egan continued to win the midfield battle and supplied plenty of good ball in to the forward line where Jack and Conor Walton caused untold problems to the opposing wing-backs.
The teams went into the break with 2-1 apiece and the local boys knew that they had to convert more of their scoring chances. Three changes were made where Eoin Egan and Jake Acreman replaced Liam Walsh and Ciaran Dowling and Oisín Egan switched from goalkeeper to forward line and this change had a huge bearing as he added a bit of physicality to the forwards.
The boys were quick to start in the second half with goals from Scotty Lawlor and Oisín Egan giving the boys a bit of breathing space. O’Loughlins continued to battle getting a few scores of their own but couldn’t break the resistance of the solid full-back line of JJ Ryan, Shane Comerford and Kevin Ging. Billy Dowling and Finn O’Byrne came off the line and worked tirelessly to supply ball into target man Mark Brennan in full forward. In the end the local boys did enough to win out on a score line of 5-4 to 4-1 with Scott Lawlor putting in an unbelievable display at midfield finishing up with a tally of 2-2, Jack Butler and Tom Brennan 1-1 a-piece and Oisín Egan 1-0. Great start to 2016 after a frustrating wait due to pitch conditions