Ballagh’ do the business as Moy attack falters
Darragh Kelly scored the first and third goals in Ballaghaderreen's league win against Moy Davitts on Saturday.
When Ryan Kenny drove over a ’45 in the fourth minute, little was anyone to know that would be the only score by a Moy Davitts starting forward for the entire match. Kenny’s was one of three scores by the visitors inside the opening seven minutes of Saturday’s Division 2 encounter against Ballaghaderreen, however, with a strong breeze behind them, Moy Davitts scored only three more points for the remainder of the first-half at the end of which they trailed by four points. The dye had been cast.
Ballaghaderreen were convincing winners, bouncing back from their defeat to East Mayo rivals Charlestown Sarsfields the week before, and by posting 3-13 against the Moysiders they are now the division’s highest scorers after four rounds. And this was no second-string side they beat; twelve of the Moy Davitts team had also started last season’s county intermediate championship final and while the Red and White were without Mayo attacker Cian McHale, Ballagh’ for their part had to field without McHale’s county teammates David McBrien and Kuba Callaghan.
In their absence, others stepped up to the mark for the hosts, none more so than corner-forward John Higgins. His goal and three points when playing against the first-half breeze was a sizeable contribution. But all over the pitch Ballagh’ looked the better balanced side and by full-time they could boast nine different scorers from play.
Higgins was the first of those when he fisted over the bar just 20 seconds after throw-in, but the Moy Davitts response was swift and firm as midfielders Colm McHale and Conor Reid fired over a pair of two pointers either side of that pointed ’45 by Ryan Kenny. Padraig Ruane blasted a decent goal chance high and wide in the eighth minute as well, with the disappointment compounded when Ballaghaderreen raised the game’s first green flag three minutes later.
Kane Phillips helped launch the move and after a give-and-go between David Drake and Ryan Lynch, Darragh Kelly drove the ball beyond the reach of goalkeeper Chris McGlynn, for the first of two goals by the midfielder.
Moy Davitts hit back with excellent points by Conor Reid and Conor Ryder to lead 0-7 to 1-1 after 17 minutes, however, their opponents produced a storming finish to the first-half.
Lynch drove one goal chance narrowly wide and another by Luke Grady whistled inches over McGlynn’s crossbar, while there were points also by John Higgins, two, and Conor Moriarty which had helped to level the game by the 24th minute, after Colm McHale had already kicked Moy Davitts’ final point of the half.
Ballaghaderreen gained the lead when Higgins fired a rocket to the net in the 25th minute and when Arainn McDermott, newly introduced for the injured Callum Coleman, immediately picked off a point, that left the hosts with a 2-6 to 0-8 advantage at the turnaround.
The arrival of rain added another variable and while Moy Davitts were fortunate that Ryan Lynch for a second time drilled a goal chance wide inside 30 seconds of the restart, the visitors steadied the ship somewhat and for the entire third quarter conceded only one point against the wind, struck by Lynch. Trouble was, they were unable to impact the scoreboard themselves at all, with Stephen Clarke and Brian Reape, twice, seeing scoring efforts drift wide while Padraig Ruane had an attempt rebound back into play off the crossbar.
Ballagh’ had been almost as inaccurate since half-time until Conor Moriarty swept a free off the carpet and between the posts for their only two-pointer of the match, while a single by Kane Phillips on 48 minutes extended the home side’s lead to eight.
It took Moy Davitts until the 50th minute to open their second-half account and it came via the boot of substitute Neil Murphy who rounded off the approach play of Brian Heneghan and Conor Reid with a goal. Murphy had replaced the injured Padraig Ruane and the visitors also had to withdraw their hamstrung goalkeeper McGlynn, with his replacement Dylan Dunleavy beaten on the hour mark by Darragh Kelly who bundled a high delivery into the net. Points by James Puncheon, Conor Moriarty and sub Aaron Duffy helped stretch the margin to eleven points.
The game was deep into stoppage time when a point from a free by Moy Davitts substitute Ronan Clarke was augmented by a second goal for the guests, as Brian Heneghan lobbed in a free that broke kindly for Colm McHale to finish. It was all cosmetic though, and the winless Moy boys will hope to make it fifth time lucky when hosting Davitts next Saturday evening. Ballaghaderreen visit Aghamore in what is their third straight game against fellow East Mayo opposition.
Scorers – Ballaghaderreen: Darragh Kelly 2-0-0, John Higgins 1-0-3, Conor Moriarty 0-1-2 (tpf), Luke Grady, Ryan Lynch, Kane Phillips, James Puncheon, Arainn McDermott and Aaron Duffy 0-0-1 each.
Moy Davitts: Colm McHale 1-1-1, Neil Murphy 1-0-0, Conor Reid 0-1-1, Ryan Kenny (’45), Conor Ryder and Ronan Clarke (f) 0-0-1 each.
Ballaghaderreen: Thomas Dillon; Aaron Lynch, Seamus Cunniffe, Daniel Hanley; David Drake, Kane Phillips, Domhnall Forrest; Ryan Lynch, Darragh Kelly; Luke Grady, Conor Moriarty, James Puncheon; John Higgins, Callum Coleman, Sean McHugh. Subs: Arainn McDermott (for Coleman 24, inj), Rossa McDermott (for Forrest 45), Aaron Duffy (for McHugh 57), Dominick Naughton (for Phillips 60+3, inj).
Moy Davitts: Chris McGlynn; Oisin McHugh, Ajay McGrath, Jack Dunleavy; Jamie Clarke, Fionán Cruise, Conor Ryder; Conor Reid, Colm McHale; Ryan Kenny, Brian Reape, Stephen Clarke; David Byrne, Brian Heneghan, Padraig Ruane. Subs: Neil Murphy (for Byrne 41, inj), Ronan Clarke (for Ryder 45), Dylan Dunleavy (for McGlynn 47, inj), Adam Conlon (for Reape 57).
REF: Jamie Hoban (Westport)
