Gaels flatten Swinford in extra-time epic

Swinford crashed out of the Mayo Junior Football Championship in dramatic fashion on Saturday evening, as Northern Gaels booked their place in the last eight at the end of an action-packed preliminary quarter-final played at James Stephens Park in Ballina.

Swinford led by one point in the second-half of extra-time and earned themselves a gilt-edged opportunity to win the match when presented with a penalty to move four points ahead with only four minutes left to play. However, the spot kick was superbly saved and with virtually the last kick of the match, Ciaran Boland launched over a massive two-point score to earn a famous victory for the Kilfian-Lacken amalgamation – 1-16 to 0-18.

The game had been nip and tick throughout, with the sides deadlocked at half-time, 1-7 to 0-10, and at full-time, 1-12 to 0-15.

It was Northern Gaels who held a two points lead at the halfway stage of extra-time, however, three consecutive points against the wind after the restart looked to have given Swinford all the momentum, even more so when Liam Moran stepped up to take their late penalty. But with that miss – or save – saw the course of history altered, with Swinford now demoted to the junior ‘B’ championship while Northern Gaels march on to the ‘A’ quarter-finals.

It was particularly cruel luck on Moran who had been excellent on the evening and scored the vast majority of Swinford's eighteen points.

There is one remaining spot to be filled and it will go to the winners of next week’s clash of Ballycroy and Ballycastle.

See Tuesday’s Western People for a full match report.