Morgan Fuels Down SFC round three
Ballyholland 3-8 Longstone 0-6
BALLYHOLLAND'S convincing 11-point win over Longstone suggests they will be a team to watch, even though tougher tests await in the Down Morgan Fuels quarter-finals.
It was two scores each at the break, but importantly it was Ballyholland that hit the net on their two occasions to lead by four-points.
Played in Kilcoo, it was a game where both sides put bodies back in defence, but Ballyholland’s transition into attack compared to Longstone's was day and night, with Harps breaking at speed.
Conor Shields (free) opened the scoring but with 13 minutes gone, Billy Campbell blasted into the net after a great turnover and five minutes later Jack Murtagh slipped his shot past keeper Daithi Rogan after another break from deep, with Ruairi Campbell surging 40 metres before off-loading to Joe Murphy who set up the goalscorer.
That was pretty much what Harps offered in the opening half, whereas the Stone held much of the possession, with Michael Hughes pointing when he might have gone for goal and then Niall Sloan denied by Harps keeper Aodhan Furlong, who made a great save from close range.
The 'Stone showed optimism from the second-half throw-in with Barry Doran stroking over the bar but Ballyholland replied instantly with Seamus Loughran squeezing his shot inside the near post for a great goal to put the Harps seven points ahead.
There was no way back for Longstone as Harps kept the scoreboard ticking over, with Murtagh showing his class with scores off both feet. Longstone did have a go in the final quarter with Shane McDowell and Tiernan Fegan clipping over two points in a row.
However, it proved too high a mountain to climb for Longstone as Harps wait on Monday’s draw to see who they face in the last eight.
Harps finished the game with 14 men, with Billy Campbell picking up a second yellow in the final minute.
Ballyholland scorers J Murtagh 1-5 (0-1 45’); S Loughran 1-1; B Campbell 1-0; P McAteer & J Kearns 0-1 each
Longstone scorers M Hughes, C Shields (f), B Doran, S McDowell, T Fegan & C Poland (f) 0-1 each
