Robbie to the rescue as Breaffy survive by slimmest of margins
Robbie Fadden, who would later kick the match-winning point for Breaffy, challenges Belmullet midfielder Seamus Howard during Saturday's Mayo SFC Group 2 encounter at James Stephens Park in Ballina. Picture: David Farrell Photography
There was drama of the highest order on Saturday as Breaffy went from exiting the championship to securing home advantage in the quarter-finals, all in the length of time it took Robbie Fadden’s 30-metre kick to sail between the Belmullet posts in the dying seconds of this knife-edge encounter in Ballina.
There was time only for Belmullet goalkeeper Shane Nallen to take the next kickout, as Breaffy’s one point win saw them leapfrog the Erris side at the top of Group 2 on the head-to-head rule. Had the match finished in a draw, like it had seemed destined to, scoring difference would have seen Castlebar Mitchels through to the last eight instead of Breaffy.
The concession of that late point could also prove costly for Belmullet who surrendered home advantage in the next round as a result. But they have only themselves to blame really, as they went from leading 0-10 to 0-6 early in the second-half with a strong breeze behind them, to raising only two more flags for the rest of the game, including Ryan O’Donoghue’s two point free. Factor in their four two-pointers over the course of the hour, and Belmullet scored just nine times.
But Breaffy were fortunate too; when Aidan O’Shea added a point to his early two pointer, leaving his side 0-5 to 0-2 ahead after thirteen minutes, that was the last score of the game from play by any Breaffy forward. And on any other day, their tally of eleven wides (Belmullet kicked one) could easily have come back to bite them too.
But that did also indicate their dominance of the football for long stretches of this match, which was low in quality but full of intrigue.
A pair of first-half two pointers against the wind by Ryan O’Donoghue and goalkeeper Shane Nallen, from a free, had helped Belmullet into a 0-8 to 0-6 half-time lead, with Anthony Barrett, Conan Connor, Evan Ivers and Ryan O’Donoghue, a free, providing the other points. Aidan Cunningham and Pierce Deane had joined with O’Shea in kicking early scores for Breaffy but despite the wind at their backs, their only contribution to the scoreboard during the entire second quarter was a tap over free by Liam Irwin, as six Breaffy players all kicked first-half wides, including goalkeeper Jack Livingstone twice from long range frees.
Mayo midfielder Matthew Ruane, hampered all championship by injury, had sat out the first-half for Breaffy but appeared for the start of the second, however, it was Belmullet who made the brighter start as Owen McHale pumped the ball over the bar from fully 50-metres to extend his side’s lead to four points after 33 minutes.
The signs looked ominous for Sean Deane’s side at that stage, with Belmullet making gains off the Breaffy kickout as well. However, the leaders were badly impacted by the withdrawal of Mayo defender Eoin O’Donoghue after 41 minutes due to a shoulder injury.
A point by wing-back Daire Morrin and converted frees by Pierce Deane and Aidan O’Shea helped Breaffy narrow their arrears to two points, as Seamus Howard’s 42nd minute single would be Belmullet’s last for another fifteen minutes.
Conditions had by now taken a turn for the worse, with a heavy drizzle descending atop James Stephens Park, but it was Breaffy who displayed admirable fight when four straight points into the wind, from Deane, a free, James Minogue, following a fine assist from Conor Melly, O’Shea, a free, and wing-back Yousif Coghill, saw them move 0-13 to 0-11 ahead after 56 minutes.
Belmullet temporarily stopped the rot when a free, hard earned by Seamus Howard, was dispatched over the bar from 50 metres by Ryan O’Donoghue, but that equaliser didn’t sit well with Breaffy who knew they would have to raise another flag wanting to save their season.
The chance looked to have passed them by when Aidan O’Shea drove a long range free wide of the target, however, there was time for the same player to combine with his brother Conor, and Pierce Deane, and create one final opportunity for Robbie Fadden. Knowing an advantage was at play from referee Paul Lydon, Fadden backed himself to kick the crucial match-winning point in the fifth minute – and very last seconds – of stoppage time.
How significant that moment, for Breaffy and Belmullet alike, only time will tell.
Scorers – Breaffy: Aidan O’Shea 0-1-3 (2f), Pierce Deane 0-0-3 (2f), Aidan Cunningham, Liam Irwin (f), Daire Morrin, James Minogue, Yousif Coghill and Robbie Fadden 0-0-1 each.
Belmullet: Ryan O’Donoghue 0-2-1 (1tpf), Shane Nallen (1tpf) and Owen McHale 0-1-0 each, Anthony Barrett, Conan Connor, Evan Ivers and Seamus Howard 0-0-1 each.
Breaffy: Jack Livingstone; Conor Melly, Mark Dervan, Conor Beirne; Yousif Coghill, James Minogue, Daire Morrin; Oisin Tunney, Robbie Fadden; Aidan Cunningham, Conor O’Shea, Davitt Neary; Liam Irwin, Aidan O’Shea, Pierce Deane. Subs: Matthew Ruane (for Tunney ht), Ben Murphy (for Irwin 35), John Deane (for Cunningham 46), Belmullet: Shane Nallen; Donal Barrett, Colin Barrett, Conan Connor; James O’Donnell, Eoin O’Donoghue, Anthony Barrett; Seamus Howard, Evan Ivers; James Lavelle, Fionnan Ryan, Owen McHale; Ryan O’Donoghue, Fonn O’Donoghue, Rian Concannon. Subs: James Ivers (for E O’Donoghue 41, inj), Gary Boylan (for A Barrett 46), Shea O’Donoghue (for Concannon 54), Padraig Cowman (for O’Donnell 56).
REF: Paul Lydon (Kiltimagh)
