Rearcross 'A' bow out of Munster Junior Cup in Ballinree

Rearcross travelled to Ballymackey for the Munster Junior Cup tie, St Michaels awaiting the winner in the next round. It was home side who started the brighter of the 2 teams and they hit the front in the 10th minute. Good build up play on the right-hand side saw Aidan White play a defence splitting pass to Cian Galvin who timed his run well to beat the offside trap and finish past the onrushing Cathal Kennedy. Ballymackey nearly went 2 nil up moments later when a cross from the right deceived the Rea keeper but the Ballymackey wingers shot went over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Rea were slowly coming into the game and nearly found themselves level on the half hour mark when a snap shot on the edge of the area from Cillian Kennedy had the keeper beaten but it hit the crossbar and bounced away to safety. Conor Nolan was the next to come close for Rea when a long ball from Cathal Kennedy went over the defence and Conor nipped in ahead of the keeper and just as he was about to finish to the net the Ballymackey defender came out of nowhere to clear the ball. With 2 minutes left Rea would find themselves level. Cillian Kennedy picked up the ball on the right-hand side and drove at the Ballymackey defence, his cross found Paddy Dawson at the back post and he finished to the net giving the keeper no chance.
The home side again started the 2nd half the better of the 2 teams. They took a deserved lead on the 60th minute when Rea only half cleared a corner and the ball fell to Craig Conneally whose 1st time volley went through a melee of bodies to find the corner of the net. Five minutes later Ballymackey would put the tie to bed when a cross from the by-line found Aidan White in the box and he held his composure to finish to the net. Rea huffed and puffed but could not break down a stubborn Ballymackey defense, Greg Kennedy and Paddy Ryan going close on 2 separate occasions. A tough day at the office for the away side and they will look to bounce back in the league next Sunday when they face Sallypark.

Ballymackey ‘A’: B Hayes, B O’Dwyer, C Conneally, W Collins (Capt), D Bergin, C Delaney, C Galvin, A Steed, L Hogan, A White, C Maher
Subs: S Cantwell, J Kenneally, J Kenneally, C Doheny, C Spillane

Rearcross ‘A’: Cathal Kennedy (Capt), Eoin Sheldon, Stephen Rochford, Robert Harrington, Greg Kennedy, Paul Nolan, Patrick Dawson, Conor Nolan, James Rochford, Michael O’Gorman, Cillian Kennedy
Subs: Eoghan Kavanagh, Patrick Ryan, Paul Ryan, Oisin Reynolds

Referee: Derek Halpin

Report by Robert Harrington

Rearcross were denied an equalizer when Cillian Kennedy's effort came off the crossbar

Paddy Dawson made it 1-1 with a fine finish from in front of goals