Regan returns to help Ballina confirm final spot
A group of hardworking ground stewards prior to Mayo’s action against Meath during the All-Ireland SFC at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, last Saturday. from left: Martin Browne (Ballina), Malachy McCarron (Ardnaree), Padraig Prendergast (Ballina), Benny Holmes (Ballina) and Vincent Tomas (Ballycastle). Picture: David Farrell Photography
Ballina Stephenites booked their ticket to this season’s Division 1 final by virtue of Friday’s two points win against Castlebar Mitchels.
Mitchels are safe from relegation but chased the game like a side who couldn’t be sure of that, with only results elsewhere on the evening meaning Kevin Filan’s team can’t be leapfrogged in the final round.
The visitors, it’s worth remembering, were down their entire county contingent of Durcan, Tuohy, MacGonagle and Morahan, whereas Ballina Stephenites, minus Sam Callinan, were able to call upon their Mayo fringe players, namely Dylan Thornton, Frank Irwin and Liam Golden.
All three had a significant impact, so too Evan Regan who marked his first appearance of the season with a trio of two-pointers. Ballina kicked five to Castlebar’s two on a stilly evening on Moyside, a crucial difference in the context of a two points win – their seventh in eight league games.
Regan kicked his first in the ninth minute to send Ballina two ahead, after an early exchange of singles between former Mayo attacker James Durcan and Frank Irwin. But with Ciaran Treacy, Regan and Thornton each missing chances to extend their side’s lead, Castlebar capitalised by hitting five points on the spin, with Anthony O’Boyle’s excellent two pointer preceded by a pair of Cian Walsh frees and another Durcan point from play.
The county town outfit were now 0-6 to 0-3 ahead but by the 25th minute they had also struck six failed scoring attempts, the punishment for which would come in the form of seven consecutive points by Ballina either side of half-time, from midfielder Frank Irwin, half-backs Niall Feeney and David Tighe, and wing-forward Conor Jordan before the short whistle, and by Dylan Thornton, a two pointer, and Jordan again, shortly after the restart.
Thornton had been a significance presence in the first-half, both for his aerial prowess and for the pace he was able to inject into Ballina’s attacking play, and he offered much of the same again in the second. However, Mitchels gave Ballina something hard to think about when they roared back to regain the lead by the 39th minute, inspired greatly by the effort of centre-half-back Fintan Borotto and the hard graft too of midfielder Brendan Gaughan.
A pair of converted frees by Calum Finan and goalkeeper Rory Byrne, his first of four second-half points, preceded an exquisite goal. It was derived from an excellent catch of a Ballina kickout by Ultan O’Reilly who offloaded to Anthony O’Boyle and he in turn passed the ball off to James Durcan whose rasper into the bottom left corner left goalkeeper David Clarke with no chance of saving.
It was at this point, trailing 1-8 to 0-10, that Ballina Stephenites also lost Mikey Murray to a foot injury, but there were plenty others willing to put their shoulder to the wheel. The game was levelled by Frank Irwin who fisted over the bar on 43 minutes and when Ciaran Treacy belted over a two pointer a minute later, that sent the Green and Red into a lead they weren’t to relinquish.
The home side’s next two scores were kicked from outside the arc also, both by Evan Regan, so with Castlebar having only Byrne, a free, and O’Reilly kick a point apiece, the hosts entered the final six minutes with a four points advantage, 0-17 to 1-10.
Castlebar did manage to reduce their arrears to the minimum thanks to frees by Byrne, a two pointer, and substitute Neil Douglas, and they had two minutes of stoppage time to try and find at least an equaliser, but it was Dylan Thornton who capped a fine display by fisting over an insurance point at the other end, confirming his side’s place in next month’s final.
Scorers – Ballina: Evan Regan 0-3-0 (1tpf), Dylan Thornton 0-1-1, Frank Irwin 0-0-3, Ciaran Treacy 0-1-0, Conor Jordan 0-0-2, Niall Feeney and David Tighe 0-0-1 each.
Castlebar: James Durcan 1-0-2, Rory Byrne 0-1-2 (tpf, 2f), Anthony O’Boyle 0-1-0, Cian Walsh 0-0-2f, Ultan O’Reilly, Calum Finan (f) and Neil Douglas 0-0-1 each.
Ballina Stephenites: David Clarke; Ciaran Boland, Liam Golden, Luke Jordan; Niall Feeney, David Tighe, Barry Walsh; Frank Irwin, Dylan Thornton; Mikey Murray, Matthew Leonard, Conor Jordan; Evan Regan, Luke Feeney, Ciaran Treacy. Subs: Oisin McCann (for Murray 43, inj), Patrick Carr (for Leonard 53), Stephen Mullins (for N Feeney 56).
Castlebar Mitchels: Rory Byrne; Brian McDonnell, Joe Tuohy, Jack O’Reilly; James Cunningham, Fintan Borotto, Shane Cunningham; Ultan O’Reilly, Brendan Gaughan; Anthony O’Boyle, Ben Joyce, James Durcan; Cian Walsh, Eoghan Hughes, Calum Finan. Subs: Neil Douglas (for Hughes 43), Ethan Gibbons (for Finan 49), Stephen Keane (for O’Reilly 53).
REF: John Walker (Cill Chomáin)
