Jennings goals help Gaels grab their senior lifeline

Mayo SFC Relegation Final 

Mayo Gaels 2-20

Ballyhaunis 0-19 

John Paul Heaney at Ballindine 

What better day to deliver your club's most convincing performance of the year?

Few could have predicted in the build-up just how one-sided this relegation final would pan out, as the outcome was known long in advance of the final whistle. A blistering period of play in the middle of the opening half saw Mayo Gaels kick ten points in just 16 minutes, and they never looked back. Goals midway through the second-half by Padraig Jennings and James Jennings sealed the victory over Ballyhaunis and afterwards, Mayo Gaels manager Johnny Griffin spoke about his and the team’s relief at the win.

“We’re delighted to keep our status at senior level for next year. We kicked 2-20, which is very pleasing in such a high-pressure game. It shows how the boys played to their true potential. It’s hugely satisfying for both the players, management team and the club as a whole today.” Griffin added: “Once we got that first goal from Padraig Jennings, the game just swung in our favour from there. We now had a cushion for the first time. To be fair to Ballyhaunis, they kept plugging away and they got a lot of two-pointers from their keeper, Adrian Phillips. Anytime they got a bit of momentum through his frees, we reacted positively by getting a score at our end, so we stayed composed, always in control of what we wanted to achieve, which is most pleasing.” And yet the game began with Ballyhaunis being quickest out of the blocks as their liveliest forward Eamonn Phillips kicked a two-pointer from play and Aidan Sloyan, who never stopped trying, kicked his opening point to put them three up after six minutes. But that was as good as it would ever get for Ballyhaunis, who crucially lined out without Keith Higgins.

In the ninth minute came Mayo Gaels’ first score from Andrew Quinn, and then the proverbial heavens opened. By the 25th minute, Quinn and co had eleven on the scoreboard with little or no return at the other end. Quinn add another from play in this burst with five more of the points coming from the boot of John Gallagher, who was outstanding at this point. He kicked two from play, one from a free and then a two-point free for good measure. David Quinn, Ethan Henry, Sean Keane and Ronan Commons all opened their accounts from play to help open up a commanding 0-11 to 0-6 lead at the interval.

Ballyhaunis kicked a two-pointer deep into injury-time, again from Eamonn Phillips, this time from play, to give them some hope.

The third quarter saw a huge reduction in the amount of scores, with Ballyhaunis adding just two points from frees, through Sloyan and goalie Adrian Phillips. Still, whatever they did, Mayo Gaels would quickly respond to. John Gallagher added another two-point free before James Jennings got his first white flag of the day. When Adrian Phillips came forward to convert a two-point free with thirteen minutes remaining and narrow the gap to just four, 0-14 to 0-10, there was a brief moment of optimism that a comeback was on. But all that ended moments later when an excellent team move resulted in Padraig Jennings being put through on goal, and he applied a splendid low finish to the Ballyhaunis net. John Gallagher quickly followed this with another two-pointer, this time from play, and suddenly a nine-point gap had emerged.

Adrian Phillips kicked another two-pointer with eight minutes remaining but James Jennings would fire home his side's second goal moments later.

Adrian Phillips would finish with 0-11 in total by converting three more two-pointers in the closing stages, one of them from play close to the stand sideline in spectacular fashion, and two from placed balls. Not a bad day’s work for a goalkeeper! However, it wasn’t bringing his side any closer as Mayo Gaels were doing likewise at the other end, with James Jennings adding his second point of the day, a two-pointer from Adam Gallagher and substitute Jack Fallon sealing victory and demoting Ballyhaunis to intermediate football in 2026.

Scorers – Mayo Gaels: John Gallagher 0-3-3 (2tpf, 1f), James Jennings 1-0-2, Padraig Jennings 1-0-0, Adam Gallagher 0-1-0, Andrew Quinn 0-0-2, David Quinn, Ethan Henry, Sean Keane, Ronan Commons and Jack Fallon 0-0-1 each.

Ballyhaunis: Adrian Phillips 0-5-1 (4tpf, 1f), Eamonn Phillips 0-2-1, Aidan Sloyan 0-0-3 (2f).

Mayo Gaels: Paul Mannion; John Finn, Myles Durkan, Alan Brennan; Padraig Jennings, Liam Hughes, Sean Keane; Ronan Commons, Ethan Henry; David Quinn, Adam Gallagher, Kevin Lynch; James Jennings, Andrew Quinn, John Gallagher. Subs: Jack Fallon (for P Jennings 48), Ryan McGurrin (for A Quinn 55), Peter Gallagher (for D Quinn 26, inj), Matthew Quinn (for Hughes 60+3).

Ballyhaunis: Adrian Phillips; David Cunnane, Conor Keane, Jack Coyne; Brian O’Neill, Liam Herr, Ethan Kilbane; Eoghan Collins, Cormac Phillips; Diarmuid Phillips, Aidan Sloyan, Ja Carney; Adam Noone, Eamonn Phillips, Mark Feeney. Subs: PJ Greally (for Noone ht), Josh Webb (for Keane 40), Conor Henry (for Kilbane 46), Kyle Burke (for Webb 46, inj).

REF: Shane Corcoran (Islandeady)