Ballagh' romp home to county title victory
Ballaghaderreen’s John Higgins in action against Davitts Ronan Kelly during the Mayo Premier Junior B Cup football final at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, this evening. Picture: David Farrell Photography
A Conor Moriarty hat trick propelled Ballaghaderreen to the Primary Junior B title in what was a one-sided affair against Davitts.
From the throw-in, Ballaghaderreen were on top and scored the first six points of the game through Cormac Doohan, Luke O’Grady, Rossa McDermott, Dylan Feeney, Conor Moriarty and Callum Coleman.
Davitts were misfiring in front of the posts, and did not get their first point until the 13th minute through Tom Corless, which was quickly followed by Cathal Corless’s first of the evening.
Rossa McDermott got his second point in response, followed by Dylan Burke and Conor Moriarty trading frees, and the latter got his first goal shortly before half-time. Cormac Doohan played in Moriarty and the centre forward saw his shot saved, but the referee signalled for a penalty after Moriarty was pushed as he took his shot. Moriarty stepped up to take the penalty and although Joe Prendergast got a hand to it, it nestled into the bottom corner.
Rossa McDermott got his third in added time and although Ronan Kelly responded, Davitts trailed by nine at the break, 1-9 to 0-3.
Davitts reduced the gap to seven early in the second half, but goals conceded in the 35th and 36th minutes, both scored by Moriarty, ended any hope of a comeback. Davitts battled until the bitter end, with Davey Hennessy and Cathal Corless keeping the red and black honest, but the day belonged to Ballagh’, and Cormac Doohan added a fourth goal in injury with a piledriver into the net.
Scorers – Ballaghaderreen: Conor Moriarty 3-0-2 (1-0 pen, 0-2f), Cormac Doohan 1-0-2 (0-1f), Rossa McDermott 0-0-3, Callum Coleman 0-0-2, Luke O’Grady and Dylan Feeney (45’) 0-0-1 each.
Davitts: Cathal Corless 0-0-4 (1f), Tom Corless and Davey Hennessey (2f) 0-0-2 each, Ronan Kelly 0-0-1.
Ballaghaderreen: Thomas Dillon; Kane Phillips, Aaron Lynch, Dominick Naughton; Tomás Buckley, Brian Phillips, Dylan Feeney; Luke O’Grady, John Higgins; Naoise Kelly, Conor Moriarty, Callum Coleman; Rossa McDermott, Lee McGowan, Cormac Doohan. Subs: Oisin Phillips (for B Phillips 41), Sean McHugh (for Kelly 42), Andy Moran and Leo Goldrick (for McGowan and Moriarty 51), Jack Madden (for McDermott 58).
Davitts: Joe Prendergast; Patrick Keadin, Jordan Flanagan, Brian Bermingham; Tom Corless, Tomás Ronayne, Sean Keadin; Dylan Burke, Ronan Kelly; Danny Corless, Darragh McHale, Brian Clarke; Cathal Corless, Micheál Conroy, Davey Hennessy. Subs: Ryan McLoughlin (for Clarke 24), Stephen Nyland (for D Corless 27), Sean Clarke (for Hennessy 39), Noah O’Brien (for McHale 46), Ronan McNamara (for Conroy 50).
REF: Kevin Corcoran (Islandeady).
