Easy passage but 'Haunis leave room to improve
Keith Higgins of Ballyhaunis gets out in front of his Castlebar markers. Picture: David Farrell Photography
Ballyhaunis booked their spot in the Mayo Senior Hurling Championship Final with a twelve points win over Castlebar Mitchels on a wet and windy Sunday afternoon. But they know they will have to seriously up their performance levels if they are to topple Tooreen come the final.
The East Mayo men were the better side for almost the entirety of the contest, but they left almost a dozen points behind them on the day. There was also saw some early confusion that saw the scoreboard having to be readjusted at half-time, with supporters unsure if scores had been given or not during the middle of the opening half.
Castlebar Mitchels came into the game as underdogs and knew they would have to hit the ground running, and they did open the scoring thanks to a pointed free from Corey Scahill after what was the first attack of the game.
The lead didn’t last long as Ryan Kilbane levelled matters with a well taken effort to conclude the very next play. Kilbane was the main man for Ballyhaunis on the day, finishing up with a personal tally of eight points over the hour.
Scahill edged Mitchels back in front with a well-taken free from just past the 45-metre line four minutes in, but it was to be the last time his side would lead in the game.
Keith Higgins, fresh from his appointment last week as the new Mayo U20 football manager, levelled the game up with a typical score from distance for his side. And from then on to the break it was all Ballyhaunis; Cormac Phillips got his first of the day from a free and then Kilbane hit two on the spin and almost rattled the back of the net, as his side led 0-5 to 0-2 on the quarter hour mark.
Indiscipline was costing Mitchels and Cormac Phillips rattled over three points from frees on the spin in the next ten minutes, before the first-half scoring was rounded up through singles from play by Jack Coyne and Eamon Phillips. When the teams headed for the sanctuary of the dressing-room at the break, the hosts were in front on a scoreline of 0-10 to 0-2.
The visitors introduced Mayo senior footballer Bob Tuohy at the break, and Lucas Kenny, in an attempt to get themselves back into the game. They attacked the contest with gusto early on and a duo of scores from Scahill and one from Colm Enright had it back to a five point contest and the game looked like it could be alive and well. But Enright’s score on 35 minutes would be the last time his side scored until the dog days of injury time, as Ballyhaunis flexed their superiority, reeling off nine unanswered points to put the game to bed.
Kilbane and Cormac Phillips settled their nerves with points in the 40th and 42nd minutes as the Castlebar Mitchels fightback faltered. Another double from Kilbane along with efforts from Michael Farrell and Eamon Phillips had Ballyhaunis 0-16 to 0-5 up with less than five minutes left to play in normal time.
But in between those scores, the hosts missed a whole host of efforts at the target. The conditions did not help but come the final they will need to ensure that they convert those chances if or when they come their way.
Another Kilbane double and one point from Keith Higgins rounded off the scoring for the hosts, with a late double for Scahill closing the gap back to twelve points before all was said and done.
Ballyhaunis move onto the final, with plenty to work on in the intervening weeks – but they know they have the capability to get better, before they face their next challenge.
Scorers – Ballyhaunis: Ryan Kilbane 0-8 (1f), Cormac Phillips 0-5 (4f), Keith Higgins and Eamon Phillips 0-2 each, Jack Coyne and Michael Farrell 0-1 each.
Castlebar Mitchels: Corey Scahill 0-6 (3f), Colm Enright 0-1.
Ballyhaunis: Donal O’Brien; Brian Hunt, Mark Phillips, Shaun Morley; Diarmuid Phillips, Daniel Hill, Eoghan Colins; Jack Coyne, Eoin Ryan; Kieran McDermott, Keith Higgins, Michael Farrell; Cormac Phillips, Eamon Phillips, Ryan Kilbane. Sub used: Michael Richardson.
Castlebar Mitchels: Martin Parsons; Ciaran Tracey, James Lowe, Ronan Tracey; Conor Murray, Liam Mullins, Conor Donaldson; Anthony Rowland, Barry Lane; Colm Enright, James Lyons, Corey Scahill; Eoin Enright, Conor Martin, John Kennedy Subs used: Bob Tuohy, Lucas Kenny, Pearce Murray.
REF: Garryowen McMahon (Davitts)
