E-lation for Ballina as late winner seals title
Ballina Stephenites, U14 E champions. Picture: Mayo GAA
Brian Ruane’s injury-time winners secured Ballina Stephenites B the U14 E title over Aghamore last Thursday evening in Castlebar.
Ballina got down to business quickly, opening the scoring after two minutes and hitting four unanswered points. Cillian McCann fired over a couple and Darragh McHale finished off a fine team move before setting up Evan McNulty for a point.
Meanwhile, Aghamore came close, but Mathew Sweeney saw his goal bound effort blocked by Frank Doyle. Cillian Devine did get them off the mark after nine minutes before Ballina added on another four unanswered points.
Cillian Casey reduced Aghamore’s deficit to six, venturing forward from centre back to split the posts before they quickly halved Ballina’s lead. Even with a full weekend of adult championship football on the way over the weekend, Diarmuid Delaney fired in a contender for goal of the week, letting rip from the 21-yard line to nestle the ball in the top right corner.
Ballina would have the final say in the half however as McCann added his fifth before Rory Courell’s whistle sounded for half-time.
Aghamore began the second half in similar style to how they ended the first as Mathew Sweeney rose highest to punch the ball into the back of the Ballina net within a minute of the restart.
Ballina quickly re-extended their lead to three with O’Hora adding his second and McCann his fourth free. Sweeney replied with a point from play before his side took the lead for the first time.
Cillian Devine showed great hands to field a high ball and dish it off to Calum Waldron who came off his shoulder like a bullet train and made no mistake in rolling the ball into the back of the net.
The reliable boot of McCann was at hand again for Ballina, as his unanswered couple of free and third from play along with another from O’Hora regained a three-point lead for the Stephenites.
Aghamore levelled the game again with ten to go as Sweeney powered up the pitch before playing through Kealan Glavey who made no mistake in finding the back of the net.
The sides exchanged points with Devine converting a free for Aghamore and O’Hora pointing from a tight angle for Ballina. The North Mayo side almost raised a green flag with five to play but Jarlaith Martin’s shot hit the post before being gathered off the line. The sides exchanged further singles as Glavey for Aghamore and McCann, after a strong catch from Martin, again for Ballina both raised white flags as injury time loomed.
The winner came in the 34th minute of play as Brian Ruane stepped inside his man and dropped the ball over the bar to give Ballina the victory by a single point.
