Eastern neighbours unite to beat Ballina to minor prize
PJ Greally, captain of St Jarlath's, accepts the County MFL Division 2 prize from Mayo GAA Bord na nÓg's County Board's Brian O'Malley.
A barnstorming first-half display by a well-drilled St Jarlath’s outfit left Ballina Stephenites with a mountain to climb at the break, as the East Mayo amalgamation of Ballyhaunis and Eastern Gaels held an impressive 1-9 to 0-4 half-time advantage in last Thursday’s Minor Football League Division 2 final.
Led by the deadly duo of Senan Guilfoyle and goal-poacher Adam Noone, St Jarlath’s played some blistering football over the 60 minutes and the White, Red and Blue were full value for their historic and memorable success, at a chilly Fr O’Hara Park, Charlestown.
Just two first half minutes had elapsed in this encounter when Senan Guilfoyle’s pass set-up the inrushing Jake Powers who bisected the posts to force the umpire to reach for the white flag.
Guilfoyle then struck over two majestic curling points from difficult and similar angles on eight and nine minutes respectively, much to the delight of the East Mayo supporters.
St Jarlath’s continued to make hay and a pointed free from Connor Grogan was quickly followed up with a point from Mark Feeney, the latter’s the result of a marvellous free-flowing move involving Guilfoyle and Adam Kelly.
On 15 minutes, Ballina Stephenites finally had something to cheer about when Sean Fitzpatrick struck over a badly needed free. However, the Green and Red relied heavily on the free-taking prowess of the aforementioned Fitzpatrick, with just two of the North Mayo side’s points in this joust coming from play.
After registering their opening score of the day, and just when it appeared that the Stephenites might have turned a corner, disaster struck when St Jarlath’s plundered a goal down at the town end on 16 minutes. Jarlath Concannon offloaded possession to the raiding Ethan Kilbane and the latter’s delivery into the danger zone was fisted to the back of the net by the poaching Adam Noone.
It was clear that the leaders were the dominant side and they could even afford to fluff a goal chance on 18 minutes, when Adam Kelly’s strike fizzed inches wide.
Ballina’s Oisin McCann struck over a point on 20 minutes, which involved the playmaking capabilities of Jack O’Brien, and the chasers could well have crashed home a goal on 21 minutes, but Jarome Nevin’s thunderous strike was brilliantly turned around his post by the vigilant Eamon Monaghan.
St Jarlath’s busy midfielder Jarlath Concannon guided over a point, however, two monstrous long-range points, including one from a free, by Ballina’s Sean Fitzpatrick, on 23 and 25 minutes respectively, offered hope that not all was lost as the Green and Red had reduced the deficit to five points, 1-6 to 0-4.
However, St Jarlath’s crucially ended the first-half in a flurry and a hat-trick of points from the industrious Guilfoyle, which included one ’45 and a free, mustered a commanding eight points lead for the White, Red and Blue during the half-time musings.
This game could have been over as contest during the embryonic stages of the second-half, when Guilfoyle saw his goal-bound strike thwarted by Daniel Cowen, following some excellent approach play by Guilfoyle’s team-mate Grogan.
There was a slight lull to the goalmouth action during the proceeding minutes, however, on 39 minutes, Ballina added another single as their dead-ball sniper Fitzpatrick tapped over another free.
But any notion of a stirring second-half comeback from the chasers evaporated on 43 minutes when St Jarlath’s effectively ended the game as a contest. Their lively substitute John Jennings was barely one minute on the pitch when his probing delivery towards the Ballina goal was deftly flicked to the back of the net by the diving Noone, and all of a sudden their lead had stretched to 10 points, 2-9 to 0-5.
Points from Grogan, and Guilfoyle, a majestic long-range effort, delighted the raucous East Mayo supporters who sensed that some coveted silverware was destined for the trophy cabinet.
Sean Fitzpatrick kept plugging away for the Moysiders and he notched a free on 49 minutes, but this was quickly negated by another white-flagged effort from the effervescent Guilfoyle.
St Jarlath’s didn’t ease off the gas during the final 10 minutes of this tie and points from Adam Kelly, which really was a gem of a score, Charlie Johnston and Guilfoyle, copper fastened the victory, with a brace of late frees from Fitzpatrick proving to be mere consolation scores for Ballina.
