Balla end local rivals unbeaten league start
Balla’s Odhran O’Connor has his path blocked by Mayo Gaels duo Peter and John Gallagher during the AbbVie Mayo GAA SFL Division 2 tie in Balla this evening. Picture: David Farrell.
Balla moved to the top of the Division 2 table in the AbbVie Mayo Senior Football League after a deserved 2-13 to 2-8 victory over local rivals Mayo Gaels this evening in Nally Park.
The first half was a tight affair, with Balla opening a three-point cushion before the break with a late flurry of scores. The sides were deadlocked at 1-1 apiece after 13 minutes, with Conor Walsh's goal for Balla met with an instant response from John Gallagher.
Gaels tagged on the next three points though Ryan McGurrin, Liam Hughes and Peter Gallagher but Balla would hit six points with reply, including two-pointers from Val Roughneen and David Dolan, to lead 1-7 to 1-4 at the break.
John Gallagher got the opening score of the second half before Liam Hughes missed a big goal chance to put the visitors in front. Their next score would not arrive until the 52nd minute, by which time Balla were 2-13 to 1-5 clear.
Liam Glynn and Luke Flatley came to the fore for the Maroon and White, scoring the next two points before they combined for Flatley's goal on 38 minutes. Further points from Glynn, Odhran O'Connor, Colm Murphy and Patrick McHale gave Gaels a mountain to climb and while the blue and yellow struck late on thanks to a Ryan McGurrin goal and a John Gallagher two-pointer, the gap proved too much to claw back.
