Brilliant Brehenys help sweep aside Ballinrobe
Charlestown and Ballinrobe players in a battle for possession at midfield.
A final played in perfect conditions last Thursday evening was won by the East Mayo boys from Charlestown Sarsfields. They were clinical in attack and relentless in defence with several outstanding displays on show, none more than by Danny and Sean Breheny who ran the show.
Charlestown set their stall out from the get-go and emerged quickly from the blocks. Sean Breheny collected possession and delivered an inch-perfect pass to twin brother Danny who barrelled the ball past Ajay Gormley-Walsh after 30 seconds.
Ballinrobe captain Eoin Jennings got the South Mayo side off the mark with a free which was quickly cancelled out by Danny Breheny. The early bombardment from Sarsfields continued with both Brehenys controlling the middle third.
Poor handpassing from the Ballinrobe rearguard was punished with ferocity by Danny Breheny who showed remarkable composure to raise another green flag for Sarsfields after five minutes.
The Robesiders were now rocked, and Sean Breheny sent a long free into the mixer with Danny emerging to slot another score over the black spot.
Breheny and Jennings traded frees before Donnacha O’Connor then swung over a delicious point from the right-hand side to give the boys in Maroon and Yellow some life.
Stephen Gibbons was a thorn in Sarsfields’ side and the centre-forward cut through the middle and screamed a rocket against the post from 20 yards which seemed destined for a green flag.
Sean Breheny punished the unfortunate miss by sweeping a terrific score over which was followed swiftly by Danny who converted another free to leave eight between the teams at the interval.
Sarsfields emerged with the same intent as the opening half with Sean Breheny being teed up after excellent work from Oisin Durkan. Gibbons kept the Robe scoreboard alive with a free on 35 minutes.
Powerful running from Sean Breheny was met with a foul by Balllinrobe which led to Danny Breheny firing over his fifth free of the night.
Ballinrobe were finding it difficult to break through a determined Charlestown defence which was in no mood to cough up scores. The South Mayo boys were running out of time and Gibbons was thwarted brilliantly on the line from Jack Burke who batted away a goal-bound strike.
Danny Breheny then made a towering fetch and fed Shea Haran, who whipped over a pearler on 48 minutes to leave ten points between the teams.
Ballinrobe captain Shay Philbin notched a well-taken point to try and spark his side back into the contest. The score seemed to work its purpose with Gibbons playing a quick one-two and firing another shot on target which was blocked by both Breheny boys who covered every blade of grass in Claremorris.
The score of the night – and only two-pointer – was finally secured with only six minutes remaining. Sean Breheny powered his way past the Ballinrobe back line and swung a tremendous gambit between the uprights from 50 yards to seal his side’s final score.
The Sarsfields were finally breached on 58 minutes with the busy Gibbons crashing in Ballinrobe’s only goal of the night to leave seven points in the difference.
Charlestown Sarsfields were well deserving of their victory and will take great confidence from the result as they head into the championship. Ballinrobe will be hoping to dust themselves off quickly after a poor day at the office.
Scorers – Charlestown: Danny Breheny 2-0-6 (5f), Sean Breheny 0-1-2, Shea Haran 0-0-1.
Ballinrobe: Stephen Gibbons 1-0-2 (1f), Eoin Jennings 0-0-3f, Donnacha O’Connor and Shay Philbin 0-0-1.
Charlestown: Tadgh Murphy; Jack Burke, Dylan Pilcher, Michael Kelly; Artiom Gavriliuc, Ryhs O’Connor, Ethan Honeyman; Danny Breheny Sean Breheny; Brian Egan; James Cassidy, Oisin Durkan; Kraig Larkin, Shea Haran, Oisin Kelly. Subs: Ryan Rowley (for Brian Egan 40), Jack Healy (for Oisin Kelly 50), Adam Hunt (for Durkan 54), Blane Doyle, Rory Egan and Adam Doherty (for Honeyman, Cassidy and Haran 58).
Ballinrobe: Ajay Gormley Walsh; Ryan McCormack, Shay Philbin, Mark Flannery; John Munroe, Eoin Jennings, Max Vaitekunas; Rory Coyne, Ethan Tierney; Jack O’Toole, Stephen Gibbons, Rodrigo Silis; Donnacha O’Connor, Finn Conway, Harry Gilrane. Subs: Ronan Denning (for Gilrane 34), Sam Place (for O’Toole 38), Caoimhin Murphy (for Vaitekunas 47).
REF: John Brennan (Claremorris)
