Cup victory is a breeze for the Balla boys
Team captain Dylan Dunne, centre, fellow two-goal hero Tony Cunningham, right, and Ryan Judge, who scored the other goal in Balla's 5-0 victory.
There was a momentous day for Mayo soccer in Athlone last Wednesday, and in particular for Balla Secondary School, as they totally outplayed Donaghmede scholars Grange Community College in the final of the FAI Schools Minor ‘B’ Boys National Cup which was played at the home of League of Ireland outfit Athlone Town.
In what was an amazing performance by the Connacht champions, a brace each from Tony Cunningham and captain Dylan Dunne as well as a sweet strike from Ryan Judge ensured the silverware travelled West this season.
The Mayo crew were two up inside the first 11 minutes when Tony Cunningham twice slotted past the talented Timurs Rjaguzovs who was between the posts for the Dublin side. Cunningham’s first came courtesy of teammate Ryan Judge who sprayed the ball goal-bound for Cunningham to ensure the tap-in. His second was just after the restart when he headed in perfectly from a high ball over the top.
Before all that however, Donaghmede were themselves unlucky not to see a goal awarded as Kacper Nieworaj was ruled offside in the build-up.
With a quarter of an hour on the clock, the industrious Tony Cunningham played in Dylan Dunne but his rocket was palmed superbly onto the crossbar from the overworked Rjaguzovs.
Down at the other end, Rocco Lawlor forced a great saved from Noah Murphy just before the interval and so it remained 2-0 to Balla at the break Grange were going to have to start on the front foot if they were to mount a comeback in this cup final but Ryan Judge dashed any hopes of a resurgence as he scored within a minute of the restart with what was an inch-perfect finish from an acute angle, to take the Balla tally to three.
It was 47 minutes in when Ryan Cunningham forced another super save from the Grange goalkeeper while Rocco Lawlor hit the post at the other end. A minute later, Dylan Dunne headed in from a Ryan Cunningham cross to make it 4-0.
With the game nearly up, Dunne netted his second of the afternoon – and Balla’s fifth – with an outrageous strike to the top corner to ensure a comprehensive victory in the Midlands.
The Dublin side had no response to the slick moves of Balla who were so composed on the ball and created some wonderful goal-scoring opportunities. Indeed only for the stunning heroics of Donaghmede’s Timurs Rjaguzovs, the scoreline could have been in double figures as he denied Judge, the Cunningham duo, Fallon and Nolan in the second-half.
Balla Secondary School: Noah Murphy, Keelan Corrigan, Adam Jennings, Ethan Duffy, Ben Kileen, Charlie Fallen, Tony Cunningham, Dylan Dunne (c), Ryan Nolan, Ryan Cunningham, Ryan Judge. Subs: Jack Batlen, Fionn Burke, Danel Lyons, Cillian Broderick, Colm Tuohy, Darragh Broderick, Matthew Vahey. Extended panel: James Heaney, Keelan Boyle, Joshua Barrett, Colin Prenty, Ryan Duggan, Óisín Cunnane, Seán Nolan, Liam Mahoney. Teachers: Darren O’Malley and Jonathan Ó Ceallaigh.
Grange Community College: Timurs Rjaguzovs, Seán Behan, Odhran Murray, Scott Mooney, Ethan Feeney, Killian N’Diaye Mack, Josh Moore, Cian Corrigan (c), Ethan Tansey, Rocco Lawlor. Subs: Nathan Maher, Alex Garbutt, Kealan Moloney, Bobby Tilly, Ayjay Smith, Charle Hands, Rian Carroll.
REF: Paul Tone (Athlone)
