Keane masterclass blows Ballycroy away
Coming into this high-stakes encounter at Gerry Maheady Memorial Park, the situation was clear: Killala, Ballycroy, and Achill all harboured genuine ambitions of progressing to the last eight of the Mayo junior football championship. Ballycroy needed to secure a win by four or more points to keep their progression hopes alive and leapfrog Achill, while for Killala the directive was far more straightforward – win and advance. When referee John Clancy sounded his full-time whistle, it was Enda Gilvarry’s Killala side that had run out comprehensive winners, delivering an emphatic performance to seal their place in the knockout stages.
Killala settled quickly into the opening stages of the contest. Early scores from Mattie Keane and Sean Gildea got the home side off the mark, though Ballycroy responded through Rory Conway and Brendan Conway to level things up in the opening exchanges. Killala soon re-established their foothold, pushing the scoreline to 0-4 to 0-2 as their forward line began to dictate matters.
The home side continued to press and were awarded a penalty midway through the half. Ballycroy goalkeeper Jack Deane produced an excellent save to deny Killala from the spot, but Keane was sharp enough on the rebound to convert the loose ball for a point. That moment did little to halt Killala's momentum, as they outscored their opponents 1-4 to no score over a blistering ten-minute spell. The goal was expertly taken by Sean Gildea after a clever through-ball from Gavin Walsh sliced open the Ballycroy defence.
Ballycroy found themselves under all sorts of pressure across the park, but they stuck firmly in the contest through a brace of excellent two-pointers from Brendan Conway, keeping the scoreboard within reach at 1-8 to 0-6. Ballycroy were handed a massive lifeline on the stroke of half-time when Stephen Grealis showed great composure, placing the ball neatly into the bottom corner beyond Andrew Farrell in the Killala net.
However, Ballycroy’s joy was short-lived. Killala responded instantly before the whistle, finishing the half strongly as Mattie Keane pointed a two-pointer free, followed by another sharp score from the lively Ben Stowe. That late burst sent the sides into the break with Killala holding a healthy 1-14 to 1-8 lead.
Any hopes of a Ballycroy revival were ruthlessly put to bed during the third quarter as Enda Gilvarry's men completely took the contest away from their opponents. Mattie Keane was in devastating form, registering five points in this stretch alone, including two brilliant two-pointers. Further singles from Sean Gildea and the hardworking Sean Walsh kept the scoreboard ticking over.
Ballycroy continued to battle bravely against the tide. Rory Conway contributed three further points, while Stephen Grealis was desperately unlucky not to add a second goal to his personal tally when his effort rebounded off the upright.
There was no let-up from the home side in the closing stages. Keane chipped in with his fifth two-pointer of the evening, bringing his individual tally to a staggering 0-19 on a night where he proved virtually unmarkable. Further late scores from James McLoughlin and Keane rounded off a dominant performance.
Best for Killala were the aforementioned Mattie Keane, who was undoubtedly the standout player on the park, alongside Sean Gildea, who finished with 1-4, and half-back Sean Walsh, who put in an impressive shift. For Ballycroy, Rory Conway led the charge with seven points, supported by the tireless Brendan Conway and Stephen Grealis, who worked hard throughout.
Killala now advance with momentum to the last eight where they will travel to Tuar Mhic Eadaigh. Meanwhile, Ballycroy and Achill must refocus their efforts for the upcoming junior ‘B’ championship.
Scorers – Killala: Matthew Keane 0-5-9 (5tpf, 5f), Sean Gildea 1-0-4, Ben Stowe 0-0-2, Sean Walsh and James McLoughlin 0-0-1 each.
Ballycroy: Rory Conway 0-1-5 (3f), Brendan Conway 0-2-2, Stephen Grealis 1-0-0.
Killala: Andrew Farrell; John Joe Nealon, Liam Maughan, Callum McDonnell; Sean Walsh, Conor Gilvarry, Michael O’Hora; Raymond Murphy, Brian Ferguson; Matthew Long, Ben Stowe, Niall Maheady; Sean Gildea, Matthew Keane, Gavin Walsh. Subs: TJ Murphy (for Stowe 49), John Joe Nealon (for Long 50), Andrew Gallagher (for O’Hora 52), James McLoughlin (for Maheady 52 mins.
Ballycroy: Jack Deane; Bryan Grealis, Michéal Grealis, Jason Calvey; Cillian Conway, James Deane, Stephen Grealis; Shane Ginty, Kevin Conway; Michael Conway, Rory Conway, Luke McManamon; Michael McManamon, Brendan Conway, Kevin Ginty. Subs: Michael Cormack (for B Conway 44), James Grealis (for S Grealis 49).
REF: John Clancy (Eastern Gaels)
