Ballagh' send neighbours packing
Ballaghderreen’s Kane Phillips, Seamus Cunniffe and David Drake tackle Charlestown's Paddy Lenehan. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie
Ballaghaderreen guaranteed their place in the last eight of this year’s Senior Championship with a four-point victory over East Mayo neighbours Charlestown Sarsfields on Sunday afternoon.
An accurate day from placed ball by Kuba Callaghan allied with driving runs from deep by David Drake, David McBrien and Seamus Cunniffe were the catalyst for last year’s semi-finalists to move top of the group ahead of their clash with Ballintubber in two weeks.
The opening 15 minutes was a story of two penalties. Paddy Lenehan winning one for the home team before Paul Towey saw Jamie Lunt pull off a brilliant save and Towey’s rebound hit the post in the fifth minute.
Eight minutes later, following a free by Towey and two for Kuba Callaghan, it was Callaghan who was pulled down inside the Charlestown penalty area. Kenneth Brennan received a black card for dragging down the attacker and Callaghan made no mistake planting the ball in the corner past Gareth O’Donnell.
Charlestown were dealt an early blow when they lost the influential Patrick Goldrick after just three minutes. There was no visible injury to the midfielder and the hosts definitely missed his driving runs throughout.
Jack Mahon and Towey would bring that deficit back to a single point before Ballagh got their second goal on 22 minutes when Niall Fleming’s kickout was won by the visitors and Callaghan set up Matthew Connor to fire to the net from close range.
Charlestown would pull a goal back through Ben Crean before the break along with two Towey placed balls to put two between them at half-time.
It would take Ballagh just a minute to push that lead out to five after the half-time break. David Drake, following one of numerous searing runs up the pitch, found himself in the full forward position and after being fed the ball by David McBrien he set up Callum Coleman to round the keeper and tap the ball to an empty net.
Callaghan would add four more points, all from placed ball, to leave nine points between the sides in the 37th minute.
Charlestown would get themselves back into the game following a Paul Towey goal in the 38th minute, coming when the county footballer pounced on a loose ball in front of the Ballaghaderreen goal, and five frees from the full forward in response to a single two point free by Callaghan.
However, the home side could not get within a single score of the victors to really put the pressure on.
The second half was very stop-start as referee Shane Corcoran pulled both teams for seemingly innocuous fouls at times and the game couldn’t build up much rhythm. Twenty scores across the hour coming from placed ball gives an indication as to the stop-start nature of what was not a dirty game.
Coleman’s 31st minute goal was Ballaghaderreen’s final score from play of the game as Callaghan kept up his accuracy from placed ball and a 61st minute point by Towey was Charlestown’s only point from play in the second period.
