Ballina maintain back-to-back hopes after firm test of credentials
Ballina's Brendan Collins attempts to dispossess Ballagaderreen’s Shairoze Akram.
At the end of a pulsating 80 minutes, it was the guts, heart and ultimately, fitness of Ballina Stephenites that enabled them to book a place in the Mayo senior football final for the third consecutive year. They had encountered a heroic Ballaghaderreen team at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park and indeed, the men from East Mayo were largely the better side in the first-half, with David Drake and Kuba Callaghan exceptional.
Drake was everywhere for his side, with the Ballagh’ captain as inspirational in stopping Ballina’s attacking forays as he was in starting his own with his runs from deep. Attacking ace Callaghan shot the lights out, finishing with 1-8 to his name.
But Ballina Stephenites are defending champions for a reason. Despite lining out without centre-back Padraig O’Hora and midfielder Mikey Murray, and losing Ger Cafferkey, Dylan Thornton and Conor McStay to injuries during the game, they were led into the winner’s enclosure by Frank Irwin, Sam Callinan and Luke Doherty, as Niall Heffernan’s side powered on in extra-time – but not without one major scare.
After Irwin’s skyscraper had moved Ballina three points ahead with two minutes of extra-time remaining, the Moysiders found themselves caught in a four-on-one, with David Clarke out of his goal. Cormac Doohan played in Shairoze Akram but the All-Ireland underage winner did not get his shot for goal off quickly enough and the ball was cleared off the line by Luke Doherty. Evan Regan, who had returned to the starting line-up, went up the field seconds later to push the gap out to four and it was over from there.
Ballaghaderreen’s Adam Phillips and Ballina’s Frank Irwin, a free, exchanged the game’s opening points before Evan Regan nailed the next two for Stephenites. The men in white were back level through two frees by Kuba Callaghan before a skyscraper from defender David Tighe edged Ballina back in front.
Tighe was soon yellow carded after nudging Cian Hanley after he had released the ball on the end-line, which saw the wing-forward take a nasty tumble at the foot of the Albany End and would contribute to the former Mayo player’s premature departure later in the second-half.
The lurking presence of Kuba Callaghan was a continuous issue for Ballina Stephenites, and he pointed the next two from a free and a mark respectively to put Ballaghaderreen ahead before Ballina had sight of a goal shortly afterwards, in first-half added time. Sam Callinan, who was largely on his defensive duties until this point, made a great run before feeding the ball to Ciaran Boland whose strike at goal was blocked down and diverted out for a ’45 by Seamus Cunniffe. Frank Irwin converted to leave the scoreboard reading 0-5 apiece at the interval.
Ballina Stephenites made the dream start to the second-half when Sean Regan’s shot dropped short and was not dealt with by Ballagh’ goalkeeper Jamie Lunt, which allowed Luke Doherty to come and poke the ball to the net. However, Ballagh’ had the perfect response a minute later. Cian Hanley dispossessed Liam Golden and Darragh Kelly was quickest to react, getting to the ball ahead of David Clarke to finish soccer style. The goal would come at a price however, as Hanley was hurt when winning possession and had to be subbed off.
That would not deter Ballaghaderreen though, as Luke Connor nudged them ahead before Tomás Morley’s side struck for a second goal on 38 minutes. Shairoze Akram started the move and set David McBrien off, with the county man’s darting run down the field leaving a trail of Ballina players in his wake before he laid off for Callaghan to bury the ball past Clarke.
Yet that would be Ballagh’s last score until the start of the final quarter. Evan Regan, a free, Luke Jordan and Sam Callinan brought it back to a one point game but McBrien set-up Callaghan for his fifth point and it looked like the champions were reeling.
Ballaghaderreen’s next two scoring attempts went wide however, and that coincided with the momentum swinging back in Ballina’s favour. The Green and Red grew stronger and three points on the spin by substitute Dylan Thornton, Sam Callinan and Evan Regan looked to have won it but a late free from Callaghan levelled the match for a seventh time to ensure extra-time.
The sides were level for an eighth time after David McBrien cancelled out Ciaran Treacy’s opener for Ballina but the Stephenites would take a two-point lead into the second period courtesy of efforts from Luke Doherty and a second Frank Irwin free.
Efforts from Evan Regan and Conor McStay were countered by Kuba Callaghan, a free, and Ballagh’ sub Arainn McDermott but Ballina pushed out the gap to three courtesy of Frank Irwin.
Akram would miss his golden chance to draw the sides level and a breakaway move down the field was sent over the bar by Evan Regan to keep on course that dream of Ballina’s to keep hold of the Moclair Cup for another year.
Ballaghaderreen, somewhat surprise semi-finalists, can hold their heads high but might well wonder if a chance as good as this will come again anytime soon.
Scorers – Ballina Stephenites: Evan Regan 0-6 (2f), Luke Doherty 1-1, Frank Irwin 0-4 (2f, 1 45’), Sam Callinan 0-2, David Tighe, Luke Jordan, Dylan Thornton, Ciaran Treacy and Conor McStay 0-1 each.
Ballaghaderreen: Kuba Callaghan 1-8 (0-6f, 0-1m), Darragh Kelly 1-0, Adam Phillips, Luke Connor, David McBrien and Arain McDermott 0-1 each.
Ballina Stephenites: David Clarke; Liam Golden, Ger Cafferkey, David Tighe; Ciaran Boland, Sam Callinan, Luke Jordan; Niall Feeney, Frank Irwin; Luke Doherty, Conor McStay, Sean Regan; Evan Regan, Luke Feeney, Brendan Collins. Subs: Ciaran Treacy (for Boland 44), Dylan Thornton (for Jordan 47), Ciaran Sweeney (for D Thornton 60+4), S Regan (for Feeney 62), James Doherty (for Cafferkey 72), Daniel Feeney (for L Feeney 72-75, blood), D Feeney (for McStay 77).
Ballaghaderreen: Jamie Lunt; Seamus Cunniffe, David Drake, Domhnall Forrest; Shairoze Akram, David McBrien, Keith O’Donnell; Adam Phillips, Darragh Kelly; Cian Hanley, Kuba Callaghan, Kane Phillips; Matthew Connor, Ryan Lynch, Luke Connor. Subs: Callum Coleman (for Hanley 35, inj), Aaron Lynch (for O’Donnell 42), Luke O’Grady (for M Connor 45), Cormac Doohan (for A Phillips 55), Dylan Feeney (for L Connor 57), Arainn McDermott (for Forrest 70), M Connor (for K Phillips 74).
REF: John Glavey (Aghamore)
