Penalty anguish as Ballina crash out of Connacht
Coolera-Strandhill goalkeeper Keelan Harte and Luke Feeney of Ballina Stephenites during Sunday's Connacht Club SFC semi-final. Harte was the Sligo side's hero in the penalty shoot-out. Picture: INPHO/Andy Paton
There was bitter disappointment for Ballina Stephenites on Sunday afternoon as they crashed out of the AIB Connacht Club SFC, losing to Sligo champions Coolera-Strandhill on penalties after a dramatic afternoon at Markievicz Park.
The Moysiders surrendered a two points lead in the second-half of extra-time, with the match ending 0-9 apiece at the end of 80 plus minutes.
Coolera-Strandhill, 7/1 outsiders with the bookies beforehand, scored all five of their penalties with Ballina’s second spot kick, taken by Conor McStay, superbly saved by goalkeeper Keelan Harte.
The toll of travelling to London the previous weekend arguably played its part in what, at times, was a lifeless Ballina performance, with Coolera-Strandhill even coming through despite losing recently retired Sligo stalwart Keelan Cawley to injury in the pre-match warm-up.
The sides were level at 0-3 apiece at half-time, either side of which Ballina’s Padraig O’Hora spent time in the sin-bin. Coolera-Strandhill enjoyed a purple patch between the 42nd and 50th minutes to move into a 0-7 to 0-6 lead but the Stephenites dug out an equalising point through substitute Dylan Thornton, with Niall Heffernan’s team unlucky not to win the game in normal time when Ciaran Treacy had a 59th minute goal effort stopped on the line.
Evan Regan, a free, and Ciaran Treacy kicked Ballina two clear and with Coolera-Strandhill talisman Niall Murphy black-carded, it looked like the Sligo side’s race had been run. But Murphy returned in time to kick the frees that forced the penalty shoot-out which saw the Seasiders book a first ever appearance in the Connacht final where they will play Padraig Pearses who on the same afternoon overcame Mohill by 0-13 to 0-3.
