Brave Ballina fightback denied by the blue wave
Westport's Paddy Ketterick accepts the cup from Charlie Lambert, Mayo GAA Bord na nÓg chairman. Picture: Mayo GAA
The two best sides from the U14 Championship put on a clinic worthy of an A final as Westport held off a brave Ballina fightback to win the county title.
Where do you begin with this thriller? Six goals and twenty-seven points were shared between the pair, but this contest looked all but over at half-time. All four of Westport’s goals came in the first half as they led 4-8 to 0-9, and that eleven-point lead remained going into the final quarter.
Inside seven minutes, Ballina brought it back to three but Westport goalkeeper Zachary Maxwell pulled off a big penalty save late on for the Coveys to claim the title.
Maxwell was as important to Westport in goal as Mark O’Connor was at the full-forward line. He scored 2-4 and the first of his points came on five minutes after a quick pair of Ballina singles got the Stephenites in front.
A minute later, Westport went in front through a freak goal as a harmless pass in by Cormac Curran bounced over Ballina goalkeeper James Murphy and into the net.
Darragh Durkan and Kyle O’Grady drew Ballina back level but by the 12th minute, Westport were in control as they hit 2-2 without reply. Murphy was unfortunate again in the Ballina goal as Odhran Gavin’s point attempt sailed over Murphy’s head and into the corner, while he could do little to stop Mark O’Connor’s thunderbolt into the roof of the net.
Travis McCay and Jamie Holmes, a free, exchanged points and Westport almost added a fourth through a brilliant move involving Paddy Ketterick, Holmes, and Curran but a Ballina defender got a vital touch to palm it away.
Westport did raise a fourth green flag on 18 minutes through Mark O’Connor’s second major, as his shot for a point flew over the head of Murphy and in. Ballina almost got a goal in response as Darragh Durkan’s free bounced off the bar and into the hands of McCay but, not for the last time, Maxwell pulled off a great save.
The sides traded eight points apiece in the final ten minutes of the half and went blow for blow with the first four of the second half, during which time Maxwell was again called into action to deny Darragh Durkan on this occasion, but the drama was only beginning.
Ballina got a lifeline when Jamie Gallagher found the net on 45 minutes with a great team move which was followed by three Darragh Rafter points (two frees).
The Westport firepower was beginning to shoot blanks before another Jamie Holmes free ended a fourteen minute wait for a point but a frantic finale was set up on 53 minutes when Kyle O’Grady struck a brilliant effort across Maxwell.
Holmes nailed his third free a minute later to keep the gap at four, but Ballina received their golden chance on the brink of added time when they were awarded a penalty. Rafter’s free was short and handled on the ground by a Westport defender. The referee signalled for a penalty but Maxwell guessed correctly to deny Rafter.
Patrick Ruane brought the gap to free as Ballina tried one last attack but O’Connor, their weapon up front and now operating deep inside his own half, lept up into the air to snuff the danger and see Westport crowned champions.
A minute’s silence was observed before the game in memory of Ballina and Mayo GAA legend Sean Healy.
