O’Malley laments what might have been

Westport goalkeeper Paddy O’Malley admitted it was a ‘killer’ to see victory slip from their grasp, but is relishing the thoughts of the replay next Saturday.

“On the balance of things it probably was a fair result considering the start we had, second quarter we grew into it but when you are so close it’s a killer and I know when Paul Lydon put the hand up for the free in and Frank was lining it up, it was never in doubt. He’s a great striker of the ball so it is a sickener to watch it just float over the bar and there’s not a whole pile you can do about it,” he told the Western People.

It’s the second year running Ballina have hit a crucial late score against Westport.

“We know we can edge them. We have edged them. We were the last team to beat them (in a knockout game) in 2022, we had them beaten last year in Charlestown in the last group game, we had them beaten in injury time and the feet went under me and this evening we had them beaten too so we know we have the beating (of them) and we can’t wait to go at it,” he said.

Ballina game back into it late on thanks to an Evan Regan goal but there were Westport calls for a free out for a foul on their goalkeeper.

O’Malley had gripes but was pragmatic.

“I saw the first kick out of the day, I put it down on top of Conal Dawson and he had it in his hands and a Ballina man collided with him and Conal got a free. I had it in my hands, a Ballina man … two men collided with me, bundled it into the net.

“Should I have punched it? Maybe I should have punched it. I think it is nearly fair game. Sometimes goalkeepers get overprotected but I don’t know. I probably will have to look back at it to be totally honest with you. In the moment it is hard to know but a few of our lads were incensed,” he said.

Not long after, corner-back Brian McDermott scored a two-pointer for the ages to continue the grandstand finish as we headed for injury time.

“I’d say there were a lot of boys screaming at him not to shoot,” laughs Paddy O’Malley. “On the run too, after a 50 yard run to take a strike like that! I thought then, Jeez our luck was in today when we saw that floating over,” he said.

McDermott himself confirms it was “definitely” his first-ever two-pointer.

“I think I seen my name in the stars and I just shot it (laughs). I think it could be my first point from play in the whole year but I’ll take it,” he said.

McDermott said he was “bitterly disappointed” Westport did not hold out but was not overly worried when they went 0-9 to 0-1 down in the first-half.

“It didn’t bother me too much because it was still early in the first-half. They obviously got a great start, we didn’t. I knew we weren’t playing. I knew if we could get a run and get momentum like we seen against Breaffy, like we seen against other teams, we could come back into it. Honestly, coming out at half-time four points down wasn’t the worst for us.

“We were disappointed but at the end of the day we’re still in it. Eight points down in the first-half, a draw? You’d probably take it at that stage.”