O’Hora is semi doubt as Stephenites survive tight squeeze
Castlebar Mitchels midfielder Bob Tuohy finds himself airborne as Ballina Stephenites goalkeeper David Clarke and full-back Ger Cafferkey look on during the Connacht Gold Mayo SFC quarter-final at James Stephens Park, Ballina, last Sunday. Pictures: David Farrell Photography
A third straight appearance in the Mayo SFC Final remains a distinct possibility for defending champions Ballina Stephenites, after they withstood a massive challenge from Castlebar Mitchels in the last of the weekend’s four quarter-final matches.
Sunday’s encounter was by no means a classic but it was enthralling, and the low scoring was due more to the huge amount of tactics so obviously deployed by both managements as opposed to poor attacking. That said, in the context of a one point defeat, Mitchels might well reflect with regret on how it took them 30 minutes to register their first score, at which stage they had already registered five clear misses and were five points adrift.
With such a quick turnaround between quarter and semi-final, the victory may well have come at some cost to Ballina Stephenites though, as they had no fewer than three players retire from this game through injury. The most serious looked that to Mayo defender Padraig O’Hora who after being helped from the pitch with an obvious concussion, was later removed from the ground by ambulance. Mikey Murray, Ballina’s outstanding midfielder, and Luke Doherty, who like Murray has in the past flirted with the Mayo squad, both also hobbled off in the second-half, and will face a race against time to take their place in the team that tackles Ballaghaderreen in MacHale Park next Sunday afternoon.
The introduction of attacking ace Evan Regan for the final 10 minutes was, however, a welcome shot in the arm for manager Niall Heffernan whose side has won all four of its championship matches this season. This was a much different victory to their smash and grab job on Westport though, as they led here from pillar to post – Niall Feeney splitting the posts inside 50 seconds of the throw-in. Further points followed from Frank Irwin, a free, and Mikey Murray, off a Feeney pass, to see Ballina three to the good after seven minutes.
Castlebar Mitchels, who drew with both Charlestown and Garrymore in the group stages before beating Ballyhaunis, were not short of possession but upon reaching the opposition’s ’45, were generally met by a wall of Ballina bodies which forced them back or across the pitch. Failed scoring efforts by Sean Morahan, Ethan Gibbons and Donnacha McHugh, all of them short, and Gibbons and James Durcan, a wide apiece, were due to the intense pressure they were put under by a ravenous Ballina defence.
Padraig O’Hora gave the assist to an 18th minute Conor McStay point and while Feeney and Irwin each missed frees from the 13-metre line on opposite wings, Ballina eventually moved 0-5 to no score in front in the 25th minute when full-forward Luke Feeney brilliantly won a high ball one-handed and was fouled, allowing Irwin to slot over.
Some of Ballina’s positivity was checked somewhat in the closing stages of the half, when O’Hora shipped a glancing blow to the head when diving low for a ball and had to be replaced, after which Mitchels scored their first two points, in the space of a minute, through Ethan Gibbons and Bob Tuohy, to trail by just three at the interval, 0-5 to 0-2. The Green and Red had played most of the football but were only one kick in front.
Murray and Tuohy traded points from play inside the opening 10 minutes of the second-half but Mitchels woes in front of the posts were continuing, as Ciaran Mylett, Paddy Heneghan and Ethan Gibbons, twice, all kicked third quarter wides. But with the home side in the midst of an 18-minute scoreless spell, due in no small part to some excellent defensive play by Castlebar’s John MacMonagle and Donnacha McHugh, the visitors did carve up a brilliant goal chance in the 50th minute except Donie Newcombe opted to fist the ball over the bar when a crack at slotting past ‘keeper David Clarke really did seem on.
The scoreboard was now reading 0-6 to 0-4 and while Ballina twice stretched their advantage back out to three points, through Irwin, a free, and the elusive Conor McStay, Mitchels fired points in reply through the energetic McHugh and Gavin Durcan.
Having just kicked an excellent scoring chance wide, James Durcan did score his first and only point in the second minute of stoppage time from a free, to leave the minimum between the teams, but Ballina retained the ball from the next kickout and managed to run down the clock.
Scorers – Ballina: Frank Irwin 0-3f, Conor McStay and Mikey Murray 0-2 each, Niall Feeney 0-1.
Castlebar: Bob Tuohy 0-2, Ethan Gibbons, Donie Newcombe, Donnacha McHugh, Gavin Durcan and James Durcan (f) 0-1 each.
Ballina Stephenites: David Clarke; Liam Golden, Ger Cafferkey, David Tighe; Padraig O’Hora, Sam Callinan, Ciaran Boland; Mikey Murray, Frank Irwin; Luke Doherty, Conor McStay, Niall Feeney; Sean Regan, Luke Feeney, Brendan Collins. Subs: Luke Jordan (for O’Hora 29, inj), Ciaran Treacy (for Boland 50), Evan Regan (for Murray 54, inj), Ciaran Sweeney (for Doherty 60, inj).
Castlebar Mitchels: Rory Byrne; Donnacha McHugh, Donie Newcombe, John MacMonagle; Joe Tuohy, Johnny Maughan, Ultan O’Reilly; Gavin Durcan, Bob Tuohy; Paddy Heneghan, Sean Morahan, Ciaran Mylett; Ethan Gibbons, Shane Cunningham, James Durcan. Subs: Cian Walsh (for Heneghan 45), Mark Dolan (for Newcombe 50), Steve Keane (for Mylett 60).
REF: Garryowen McMahon (Davitts)
