Routine win sends Ballyhaunis through to another final
Dual players Eamonn Phillips, left, and Fergal Boland, right, swapped the big ball for the small ball on Saturday, scoring 1-4 and 1-7 respectively for Ballyhaunis and Tooreen who will now meet in the Mayo senior hurling final later this month. Picture: David Farrell Photography
Ballyhaunis will renew old rivalries against Tooreen in the Mayo senior hurling final following a 19-point win over championship newcomers St Ciaran’s in the final round of the group stages.
The Black and Red were not anywhere near their best but still had more than enough to comfortably see off the newly amalgamated team, who battled gamely and showed much improvement after their heavy defeat to Tooreen in Round 2.
St Ciaran’s may have feared the worst again after they were carved open twice in the opening five minutes but both goal chances were saved by Kevin Duffy. Cormac Phillips converted the’65 resulting from the first shot on goal before following up with a free.
Luke Hurley and Alan Ferguson both found the sweet spot from distance to level it up but that would be close as St Ciaran’s would ever get, failing to score for the remainder of the first-half as their shooting went awry, with Hurley, Ronan Fallon and Keelan Gallagher unable to convert good scoring opportunities.
Ballyhaunis took full advantage of the misfiring St Ciaran’s attack through a hat-trick of singles by Eamonn Phillips, two points from Jason Coyne and one each from Kieran McDermott and Cormac Phillips, a free, to lead 0-9 to 0-2 by the beginning of the second quarter.
A further chance for Jack Doocey of St Ciaran’s went straight into the hands of goalkeeper Donal O’Brien as Ballyhaunis made it eleven points on the spin through another three Cormac Phillips frees and a point from Adrian Phillips to make it 0-13 to 0-2 in favour of Ballyhaunis at half-time.
It was a slow start to the second-half for both teams while there was a change of referees also as Eoin Shaughnessy was forced to withdraw due to injury, with James Judge overseeing proceedings. Ballyhaunis struggled to find their range, scoring only two points through Stephen Hoban and Michael Farrell while Cormac Phillips, twice, Keith Higgins and Adrian Phillips, twice, all failed to find the posts.
At the beginning of the final quarter, St Ciaran’s got their first point since the fifth minute of the first-half through a wonderful effort by Michael Gallagher, with Sean Griffin responding for Ballyhaunis.
St Ciaran’s were almost through on goal shortly after as James Gallagher drove on but the handpass to his Westport clubmate Keelan Gallagher was overhit. Keelan Gallagher would win a free that Luke hurley converted and the underdogs were almost in again after Kevin Duffy drove a free from deep that fell to Matthew Connor, but his shot was denied by Donal O’Brien.
Those chances for St Ciaran’s drew a reaction from Ballyhaunis as they scored 1-5 late on. The points were struck by Adrian Phillips, two, Diarmuid Phillips, Stephen Hoban and Brian Hunt while Eamonn Phillips captialised on a poor puckout by Kevin Duffy to run through and blast into the net. Keelan Gallagher sent over St Ciaran’s final score with a brilliant effort from near the sideline.
