Late surge sends Ballina into semi-final with Saints
Ballina Stephenites’ Seán Regan and North London Shamrocks’ Marc Friel and Michael Carroll. Picture: INPHO/Evan Logan
Ballina Stephenites have booked a provincial semi-final showdown with 2023 Connacht champions St Brigid’s after an eight points win against North London Shamrocks. The margin of victory is quite misleading, and for more than three-quarters of Saturday evening’s clash there appeared the real possibility of an upset.
A trio of two-pointers between the 49th and 53rd minutes is what swung the game in favour of the Mayo champions who until then had scored a solitary second-half point.
It was a different story in the first, with Luke Doherty taking only 18 seconds to fist the game’s opening point and Ballina added a second through Dylan Thornton before North London Shamrocks levelled thanks to an excellent two-pointer by Joe McGill in the 10th minute.
McGill would do the same again later in the half, this time from a free, but again it was only to level proceedings as Ballina had by now struck the game’s first goal, with Doherty palming to the net after Sam Callinan’s surge forward.
The width of the post denied Michael O’Reilly from raising green for the underdogs at the opposite end and by half-time it was the Mayo champions who held a 1-6 to 0-7 lead having reeled off the final three points of the half.
The London champion enjoyed much the better of the third quarter and points by substitute Paddy Dolan, Michael Miller and Joe McGill had this game all square until some sensational long-range scores by Frank Irwin, Mike Murray and sub Ben Thornton eventually broke the away side’s resistance.
Ballina Stephenites: David Clarke; Liam Golden, Luke Jordan, Daniel Feeney; Sam Callinan (0-0-2), Sean Regan, David Tighe (0-0-1); Mike Murray (0-1-1), Frank Irwin (0-1-0); Dylan Thornton (0-0-1), Conor McStay (0-0-2), Niall Feeney; Evan Regan (0-0-1f), Luke Doherty (1-0-1), Ciaran Treacy. Subs: Keith Tighe (for D Feeney 25, inj), Barry Walsh (for Treacy 38), Ben Thornton (0-1-0), (for S Regan 39), Luke Feeney (for E Regan 57).
North London Shamrocks: Ronan McGeehin; Conor McKelvey, Nathan McElwaine, Eoin Flanagan; Tom Leinhan, Marc Friel, Ben McKenna; Daniel Clarke, Liam Murphy; Ciaran Diver, Michael Miller (0-0-1), Joe McGill (0-2-2, 1tpf, 2f); Michael O’Reilly, Michael Carroll (0-0-2), Rory Morrin. Subs: Paddy Dolan (0-0-1) (for Lenihan 30+2, inj), Darragh Spillane (for Carroll 42), John McDyre (for McKelvey 49).
REF: James Molloy (Galway)
