Early exit from Leinster for Mullinavat senior footballers

Mullinavat exited the 2023 AIB Leinster intermediate football championship following a 10-point defeat by Laois side Ballylinan at a sunny afternoon in Stradbally on Saturday.

The overall Mullinavat showing was better than the final result suggests, where they were just 0-6 to 0-3 behind at the interval, and only behind by a single point, five minutes into the new half.

The big differential between the sides was the ex Laois county star player Gary Walsh.

In the recent Laois intermediate final he scored 10 points, six from play. On Saturday it was nine points, five from play.
Ballylinan had won their county title on the last day of September, the Kilkenny side three months previously, on the last day of June.

Football-wise Mullinavat were ‘ring rusty’ and it showed against an opponent who are exclusively a football club, who could go further in this competition. They had been relegated from the senior championship last year, after 50 years in the premier grade of Laois football.

Although beaten, Mullinavat retained their Kilkenny county senior title and will go again when the calendar turns to 2024.

Ballylinan were first off the mark with a point from Cathal Dunne. Three minutes later Mullinavat replied with a Padraig Dempsey score.

The next four pointed scores were all from the Laois representatives, a Gary Walsh free, Ciaran Fennessy, Alan Farrell after a fine run through the middle of the Vegas defence, and another Gary Walsh free (0-5 to 0-1).

Michael Malone pulled a point back for Mullinavat, replied to by a Gary Walsh point from play, this shortly after a fine save by Mark McNamara in the Mullinavat goal, following a close range shot from the same player.

Adam Mansfield reduced the margin to just three points with a point before the break.

Ryan Brady of Ballylinan had been black carded in the two minutes added time of the first half, so Mullinavat resumed with a numerical advantage.

They took advantage with scores from John Walsh with a fine catch and point, and a Michael Malone free. The lead was now just a single point.

A feature of the game were the breaks made upfield by the Ballylinan number three Seamus Lacey. On one such foray he pointed (0-7 to 0-5). When Mullinavat’s Simon Aylward picked up a black card the tide seemed to turn against Mullinavat.

Gary Walsh increased the lead with two points, the first a free. It was now 0-9 to 0-5.

On 44 minutes Mullinavat had a real goal chance when John Walsh and Oisin Knox combined well, but the Laois ’keeper Tom Wright intercepted to foul the attack.

One minute later Ballylinan grabbed a goal that really altered the pattern of play. Another one of those Lacey breakaways ended with a lay off to full-forward Ciaran Fennessy, who finished emphatically (1-9 to 0-5).

The same player pointed a minute later.

Michael Malone got a much needed Vegas score from a free, but a sequence of four points from the excellent Gary Walsh, three from play, concluded their scoring (1-14 to 0-6).

To their credit Mullinavat kept going, and a fine move involving James Culleton and substitute Sean Fitzpatrick, was pointed by the fist of Oisin Knox.

Ballylinan fully deserved their victory, and players like Seamus Lacey, the Farrell brothers, Ciaran Fennessy and the excellent Gary Walsh, made it an impossible task in the end for the Kilkenny senior football champions.

Teams and Scorers

Ballylinan - Gary Walsh (0-9, 0-4 frees); Ciaran Fennessy (1-2); Seamus Lacey, Alan Farrell, Cathal Dunne (0-1 each).

Mullinavat - Michael Malone (0-3, 0-1 free); John Walsh, Padraig Dempsey, Adam Mansfield, Oisin Knox (0-1 each).

Mullinavat - Mark McNamara; Mikey Jones, Joe Fennelly, Ian Mansfield; Shane Kelly, Ger Malone, Simon Aylward (captain); James Culleton, Tom Aylward; John Walsh, Michael Malone, Padraig Dempsey; Adam Mansfield, Oisin Knox, Padraic Gahan.

Subs: Conor Duggan for Shane Kelly (blood), Conor Duggan for Simon Aylward, Sean Fitzpatrick for Pauric Gahan, Fiachra Knox for Adam Mansfield, Jonathan Cawley for Mikey Jones.

Ballylinan - Tom Wright; Darragh Loughman, Seamus Lacey, Josh McDonald; Michael Downey, Cathal Leonard, Jesse McEvoy; Padraig McEvoy, Alan Farrell; Jamie Farrell, Ryan Brady, Ciaran Farrell; Gary Walsh, Ciaran Fennessy, Cathal Dunne. 

Subs: Cathal Casey for Dunne (43 mins), Kevin Byrne for Jesse McEvoy (49 mins), James Murphy for Leonard (54 mins), Larry Kiely for C. Farrell (55 mins), Joey Walsh for Brady (56 mins).

Referee- James Foley (Carlow)