Cawley stars in Ballina rout of Claremorris
Action from last Sunday's encounter in Belleek Park. Picture: Ballina Town FC.
Ballina Town got their Westaro Cup final preparations back on track with a thumping win over a struggling Claremorris side in Belleek Park last Sunday morning.
The hosts efficiency in front of goal was an example to their opponents, who were wasteful in the first half. The key moment arrived when Ballina led Claremorris 2-1, when Darragh Condon, a new signing from Sligo/Leitrim side MCR - drew a fine save from Town goalkeeper Emmet Peyton to prevent an equaliser. Less than a minute later, the Claremorris backline was caught napping and Stephen Melvin got on the end of Dylan McKee’s inviting ball to make it 3-1 on the stroke of half-time. After that, there was only winner.
The visitors are bottom of the Super League and are in desperate need of points if they are to avoid a return to the Premier Division and they got the dream start inside three minutes when Simon Butler and Mark Maloney combined for the latter to finish. Jason Murphy then put Butler a minute later but the forward’s efforts never troubled Peyton.
After a slow start, Town regrouped and drew level with a quarter of an hour played after Jamie Cawley’s cutback was expertly finished by Dylan McKee into the bottom corner.
It was all Town from here but they could not make their dominance count in front of goal while Mark Maloney almost caught out Peyton with an audacious shot inside his own half only for it to just wide of the post.
On 35 minutes, Ballina went in front as Jamie Cawley danced with the ball one way, then another, with the Claremorris defence standing off him before he fired low past Keith Saunders.
Claremorris almost drew level after James Morley’s clever through ball to Condon, but Peyton was equal to it and Melvin ghosted past the Claremorris backline to tap home McKee’s sumptuous pass.
Any hopes of Claremorris making a comeback were dashed ten minutes into the second half when Dan Gorman scored Town’s fourth, following in with the rebound after Condon’s shot was parried by Saunders.
With one eye on next weekend’s Westaro Cup final with high-flying Castlebar Celtic, Town rang the changes from here and one of those substitutes Tiernan Tighe got on the scoresheet on 65 minutes with a stunning strike from 30 yards.
Town did not let their foot off the gas and Jamie Cawley completed his hat trick with a second half brace – the first set up by Raff Cretaro and the second a great individual effort – before James Morley scored an excellent consolation goal late on for Claremorris with a fine strike on the edge of the area.
All in all, a fine day’s work for Ballina after a costly defeat the previous week to Westport United that all but ended their title hopes for this season but their toughest test awaits against the Hoops. Claremorris, meanwhile, have shown enough in the last few games that they can get themselves to safety but will need to turn around results, and fast.
