Connacht calls as Ballina confirm their greatness

Three is the magic number for Ballina Stephenites. Make no mistake, this epic comeback victory cements their greatness in the annals of Mayo club football.

And what a way to clinch a remarkable three-in-a-row. I have never seen a finish quite like that. The game was done. Westport were home and hosed. The match and the season were just petering out towards a rather anti-climactic finish.

Then step forward Evan Regan – or King Ev as he will henceforth be known on the banks of the Moy. Regan’s last ten minutes were as fine a captain’s display as you will ever see – leadership through actions. He demanded the ball, went full-blooded for everything and implored his teammates to follow him into the history books.

Just by going for that goal in the 50th minute he set the tone for the comeback. Ballina hadn’t really laid a paw on Westport all afternoon up to that point but that drive at goal showed that Ballina and their captain were not going to go down without a fight. It was an awful goal for Westport to concede and so avoidable. It was complacency at its worst and will haunt the Covey defenders for a long time.

His two-pointer equaliser deep into additional time was another feat of heroism. To have the skill and energy in the legs to do that so late in the day is a testament to his conditioning, bravery and ability. Then to keep his head at the death when all others were losing theirs and kick the winner was the cherry on top of the icing on top of the cake for Ballina’s brilliant marksman.

His club career has been phenomenal, but his shortish intercounty spell remains a curious case. The question has to be asked: why has his only involvement with the Mayo squad over the past five seasons been as a dietitian? There may be reasons unknown to the public – perhaps he opted out of a playing role – but that seems unlikely.

Ballina have certainly reaped the rewards of having full access to him. Yet in a period when Mayo were crying out for natural left-footed scoring forwards who could slot over two-pointers, the club’s gain was undoubtedly the county’s loss. Some might argue he was simply an excellent club player who didn’t quite make the same impact at intercounty level, but even so, his left-footed free-taking alone would have been worth keeping in the panel.

I played alongside him in 2015 when we lined out in either corner for the opening league game against Kerry in Killarney. He sustained a bad shoulder and head injury that day after a horrific fall and his intercounty career was thereafter pockmarked by niggly injuries and stop–start spells on the county scene.

He was a dedicated trainer who constantly worked on his shooting and skills and he was a big lifter in the gym. His attitude was excellent too – his diet was obviously on point – and he was a popular member of the squad with a fun jovial personality. When you add all that up the mind boggles as to why his Mayo career never truly took off.

Maybe it’s not too late. He’s only in his early 30s and still in great shape. Age is just a number if you’re still splitting the posts for fun. Paul Geaney at 34 played a major role in Kerry’s All-Ireland victory this summer and was every bit as heroic in helping An Daingean capture their first Kerry Championship crown in over 70 years at the weekend.

It seems inevitable that Cillian O’Connor will get a recall for the new season — so why not Regan too?

Sam Callinan is the only Ballina player you could say with any confidence will start for Mayo next season. This makes their dominance of Mayo club football over the last three years even more remarkable. While Evan, Sam and Pádraig O’Hora (when fit) are consistently 8 or 9 out of 10 performers every week, the rest of the squad is extremely balanced, rarely producing players who fall below a 7 out of 10. They are consistency personified and their squad is loaded with excellent club footballers.

The Irwins, Ciarán Boland, Dylan Thornton and Conor McStay always put in a great shift and are vital cogs in a very well-oiled machine. They have no real weak links, and even though Regan does the lion’s share of the scoring, many players chip in from all over the park.

Although probably not at their sparkling best in recent weeks, they found a way – as champions do. Westport will be sick forever more. After an assured and commanding first 50, their last ten minutes were a complete and utter disaster. Once momentum goes, it’s difficult to arrest the slide. Eoghan McLaughlin’s departure coincided with their collapse. McLaughlin has been the heartbeat of their team all season. Without him, they flatlined and Ballina smelled blood.

This was a proper county final, with emotions ranging from unbridled, unadulterated joy to abject despair. Just the way it should be on Mayo football’s biggest day.

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The drama of the senior final was not matched by the junior one – it just never got going and was never really a contest. It was a tough day out for Eastern Gaels in their first adult county final. They could not rival Kiltimagh’s power or experience and in the second-half it looked like an intermediate side playing a junior one.

Kiltimagh had 51 players named on the programme and seemed to grow stronger each week as the season went on with players returning consistently. The experienced Paul Kelly in midfield and the stylish Conor Mallee up front were the pick of the bunch for Kilti’. Evan Cosgrove, Mattie Cummins and Jack Niland did a good job of blunting Eastern Gaels’ dangerous attack while Brian ‘Chucky’ Gallagher rolled back the years with a superb performance in his sweeping berth.

After a lot of recent heartache in intermediate finals it was a huge victory for Kiltimagh, a club that has suffered heavily from emigration. If they can keep hold of all 51 players named on Sunday, they should re-establish themselves at intermediate level again next year.

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After an entertaining Mayo season, it’s on to the Connacht championships we go. The Kilmeena v Caltra intermediate semi-final is one I’m really looking forward to – it has the potential to be an absolute cracker. Kilmeena were superb in disposing of Moy Davitts last Sunday week. Caltra, meanwhile, have been Galway’s best intermediate side for the past few seasons and finally got over the line against An Spidéal in Sunday’s decider. Both clubs have tasted All-Ireland glory this century – Caltra at senior level in 2004, Kilmeena in the junior grade in 2022. Right now, they look evenly matched and should serve up a good spectacle.

After the euphoric highs of Saturday and years of local dominance, Ballina owe it to themselves to get back down to earth soon and give the Connacht campaign a proper crack. After glorious county successes in the past two years, their provincial runs fizzled out tamely. With teams like Maigh Cuilinn, St Brigid’s and Pádraig Pearses still involved, there will be nothing easy, but the champions of Mayo should be featuring more prominently in Connacht club football. Mayo club teams have only won three Connacht senior club titles in 20 years – that is a paltry return.

So Ballina, celebrate like madmen this week – you’ve earned it. But then it’s time to get the heads back on for a real tilt at the Connacht crown. Your county needs you. We’ve been lingering in the ha’penny place for too long at senior club level.

It’s time for the team who achieved greatness in Mayo to make their mark beyond county bounds.

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One more thing… 

Ballina’s resurrection from the dead, An Daingean’s first senior county title in 77 years, Loughmacrory’s long-awaited breakthrough in Tyrone and Madden’s maiden triumph in Armagh — brilliant stories from an unforgettable weekend of club finals.