Newcastle West cruise past Ballysteen in final round of Limerick senior football championship

NEWCASTLE West have confirmed their semi-final spot in the Irish Wire Products Ltd County Senior Football Championship after a 1-11 to 1-3 victory over Ballysteen in Mick Neville Park on Friday evening.

With this win under their belts, Newcastle West have topped group two of the football championship, with Ballysteen left waiting to find out the result between Ballylanders and Monaleen, to see who they will be facing in the relegation battle. 

The current senior football champions were never in doubt against Ballysteen, who struggled with Newcastle West's fast transitions from defence to attack and their ability to maintain possession. Friday night'd game was won in the first-half with both sides only registering three points each in the final 30 minutes.

Newcastle West hit the ground running with their first score of the game coming off Eoin Hurley's boot after two minutes. This opening effort was complimented by Mike MacMahon's score, after a lacklustre kick-out from Ballysteen fell into the towering full-forward's hands.

Ballysteen struggled immensely around the middle of the field were their kick-outs were swept up by Newcastle West, who made sure to distribute the ball quickly to their forwards.

After ten minutes of play, Thomas Quilligan picked out a cutting Emmett Rigter, who side-stepped the Ballysteen defence before rifling the ball into the back of the net leaving Newcastle 1-2 to 0-0 ahead.

A further three scores were pointed by Thomas Quilligan, Eoin Hurley and Emmett Rigter to keep Newcastle in the driving seat of the game. 

After a number of wides from frees, Ballysteen eventually got on the scoreboard as full-forward Danny Neville used all his footballing class to get away from his marker and find himself totally free with the ball in hand. He made no mistake with the shot reducing the deficit to five points, 1-0 to 1-5. 

This would be their only score of the opening half despite a penalty opportunity from Tomás Sheahan, which was bravely saved by Mike Quilligan on the 26th minute. Ballysteen had a third opportunity to score a goal as Neville's pass to captain Darragh Ranahan was also saved.

The damage was done at this stage as Newcastle West maintained their lead, finishing off the half with another three points courtesy of Eoin Hurley and Mike MacMahon to keep them 1-8 to 1-0 up at the break.

Both sides struggled to get scores in the second-half with Newcastle West happy enough to maintain possession and maintain their lead. The first score of the half came from Rigter once again as he opened up the Ballysteen defence. 

No score could be added by either team for a further 20 minutes as the game looked to be finished before the final whistle blew. Eventually substitute John Whelan broke the stalemate after 51 minutes with a well-worked score for Newcastle West, before their final effort of the evening from Todd Donovan sailed over. 

Ballysteen added a further three points of their own in the closing minutes of the match, one from Tomás Sheahan and two frees from Eddie Murphy to close out the game, with Newcastle West winning out by eight points.

SCORERS: NEWCASTLE WEST: Eoin Hurley 0-4 (0-2 frees, 0-1 mark), Emmett Rigter 1-2, Mike MacMahon 0-2, Thomas Quilligan, Todd Donovan and John Whelan 0-1 each. BALLYSTEEN: Danny Neville 1-0, Eddie Murphy 0-2 (0-2 frees), Tómas Sheahan 0-1

NEWCASTLE WEST: Michael Quilligan, Michael O'Keeffe, Michael Cremin, Michael O'Leary, Ruadhan O'Connor, Aaron Neville, Brian O'Sullivan, Eoin Murphy, Emmett Rigter, Seamus Hurley, Brian Nix (C), Todd Donovan, Thomas Quilligan, Mike MacMahon, Eoin Hurley. SUBS: Darren O'Docherty for E Hurley (48 minutes), John Whelan for E Murphy (49 minutes), Sean Murphy for T Quilligan (59 minutes).

BALLYSTEEN: Brian Neville, Eoin Condon, Pakie Moran, Luke Gammell, Eddie Murphy, Shane Gallagher, Alan McGrath, Jamie O'Sullivan, Padraigh McMahon, Paul O'Shaughnessy, Darragh Ranahan (C), Sam Colgan, Joey Rush, Danny Neville, Tomás Sheahan SUBS: Jamie Dolan for B Neville (Half-Time), Shane Halligan for A McGrath (Half-Time), Bill Casey for C Daly (36 minutes), Eddie Murphy for S Gallagher (43 minutes), Mike Boyce for S Colgan (60 minutes)

REFEREE: Kieran Guina (Castlemahon)