Denny Division 2B League Final ; Ballyheigue Athletic 0-1 AC Athletic B
Denny Division 2B League Final
Sunday 10th May 2015
Ballyheigue Athletic 0-1 AC Athletic B
Report and Pictures by Tommy Naughton
AC Athletic B team were crowned Denny Division 2B League Champions on Sunday after a tight and sometimes heated battle against Ballyheigue Athletic . In terrible weather conditions both teams must be credited with giving their all to try claim the league title .
The opening chance off the game fell to AC Athletic when Joseph Diggins intercepted a ball from the back which he squared to Mark Murphy inside the six yard box. Murphy’s strike on goal was somehow block by a last ditch sliding tackle from Paul Galloway. AC were having the better of the early exchanges and Mark Murphy again had a chance to break the deadlock but Mark Dineen was alert to head away the danger .
As the half wore on Ballyheigue began to get to grips with the game and Pa McElligott nearly grabbed the lead from a Kieran o Connor but his effort was just wide of the near post. Sean Patterson tried his luck from distance but his effort deflected wide of the far post. With the conditions worsening chances to score were in short supply for both sides . The final chance of the first half fell to AC Athletic. From a Ballyheigue corner they broke quickly on the counter attack with the pace of Joseph Diggins down the right wing . His cross picked out the run of Mark Murphy whose first time effort flew over the top of the crossbar.
Just like the first half AC Athletic had the first chance in the second half when a David Egan header from a Sean Leahy free went over the top. Mark Dineen went even closer to breaking the deadlock on the hour mark but his glancing header from a Danny Casey corner flashed across the face of the goals. Minutes later the deadlock was finally broken . A long ball delivered into the Ballyheigue box broke inside the six yard box where John Mike Dooley was quickest to react to touch the ball under the advancing keeper and roll over the line with only 23 minutes remaining .
Ballyheigue were quick to regroup and within six minutes were awarded a penalty after Shane o Leary took down Jason Casey inside the penalty area. Frankie Flaherty took on the responsibility but saw his penalty saved by Shane o Leary. Time was now starting to run out for Ballyheigue as they began to throw everything at AC Athletic. Kieran o Regan saw his well struck effort saved by the feet of O Leary with 12 minutes remaining . Five minutes remaining and AC Athletic were reduced to ten men when Kieran Leahy was shown his second yellow card of the day. Ballyheigue failed to make the one man advantage count in the remaining minutes and were reduced to ten men themselves when Mark Dineen receive a straight Red for decent deep into injury time and with this went their chance of taking the game to a replay.
Kerry District League Chairman Sean o Keefe and League Secretary John o Regan were on hand to present the league Trophy.
Ballyheigue Athletic ; Noel Carroll , Paul Galloway, Mark Dineen, Pa McElligott, Danny Casey, Jack Healy, Jason Casey, Diarmuid Walshe, Sean Patterson, Frankie Flaherty, Kieran o Connor. Subs; Jordan Brick for Jack Healy, Darren Burns for Kieran o Connor, Sean Porter for Paul Galloway. 
AC Athletic ; Shane O’Leary, Paul O’Grady, Eamon Fitzgerald, Sean Leahy, Kieran Leahy, Anthony Fealy, David Egan, Mark Murphy, Johnny Regan, John M Dooley, Joseph Diggins. Subs ; Ciaran Murphy for Shane o Leary, JP Enright for Mark Murphy, Flor McCarthy for Johnny Regan. 
Referee ; Adrian o Shea
Assistants ; Kevin Cunningham & Guy Djamen .