Rovers rollercoaster shows no signs of stopping

Connacht Gold Mayo SFC Group 1 – Round 3 

Crossmolina Deel Rovers 5-17 

Ballyhaunis 1-14 

Stuart Tynan in Gilmartin Park, Kiltimagh 

A stunning four-goal haul in the opening quarter was the platform for Crossmolina Deel Rovers to record a fifteen-point win over Ballyhaunis and top Group 1.

The worrying statistic for Crossmolina’s remaining rivals – quarter-final opponents Belmullet, in particular – was that they could have had more than the five goals they finished up with. They missed a penalty early in the second-half while Niall Coggins and Sean Óg McGuinnes could also have added a further gloss to the scoreline. Some of the football they played in the first-half particularly was out of this world and, not just on this evidence but from their two other group games, it will take a very good side to stop last year’s intermediate champions.

Ballyhaunis and Mayo corner-back Jack Coyne did get the opening score of Sunday’s game from a two-pointer, and he would add another in the fifth minute but by then, Crossmolina duo Sean Óg McGuinness and Dylan Flynn had already found the net, finishing off free-flowing moves through the Ballyhaunis backline.

Niall Coggins then got a point for Crossmolina before Ballyhaunis were back level thanks to a goal from Josh Webb, reacting quickest to a point attempt that came back off the post.

The Crossmolina response to this was another two goals, with Darragh Syron setting up Kobe McDonald to find the net before Diarmuid Coggins played in his brother Niall for their fourth. At that stage, only nine minutes had gone and Crossmolina were against the wind.

Eamonn Phillips got the first of his pair of two-pointers in the first-half, but Crossmolina’s James Maheady would score four of his side’s next six points, the other two coming from Kobe McDonald, while the Phillips duo of Eamonn and Cormac kept Ballyhaunis somehow within arm’s reach at the break, albeit the wind was against them in the second-half, as Crossmolina led 4-7 to 1-11.

Kobe McDonald saw his penalty saved early on by Adam Noone, but he would soon tag on Crossmolina’s first point of the second-half before playing his part in Crossmolina’s fifth goal on 34 minutes. McDonald flicked on a diagonal ball into Maheady, and he then played in Oisin Deane to the put the result beyond doubt.

Diarmuid Coggins and a two-point free off the ground by Kobe McDonald extended Crossmolina’s lead further before Ballyhaunis hit their first score of the second-half on 38 minutes through Eamonn Phillips.

The East Mayo side would only score two more points in the game as Crossmolina dominated proceedings, with Sean Óg McGuinness, Oisin Deane, James Maheady, Dylan Flynn, Diarmaid Walsh and Niall Coggins all splitting the posts for a statement victory.

Ballyhaunis, meanwhile, now prepare for a relegation semi-final against neighbouring Aghamore.

Scorers – Crossmolina: Kobe McDonald 1-1-3, James Maheady 0-0-5 (4f), Niall Coggins 1-0-2, Sean Óg McGuinness, Dylan Flynn and Oisin Deane 1-0-1 each, Diarmuid Coggins and Diarmaid Walsh 0-0-1 each.

Ballyhaunis: Eamonn Phillips 0-2-4 (2f), Jack Coyne 0-2-0, Josh Webb 1-0-0, Cormac Phillips (f) and Mark Feeney 0-0-1 each.

Crossmolina: Patrick Loftus; Sean Óg McGuinness, Kevin Mulhern, Matthew Gordetskyy; Aaron Coggins, Daragh Syron, Josh Moyles; Jordan Flynn, Kobe McDonald; Dylan Flynn, Oisin Deane, Niall Coggins; James Maheady, Patrick Leddy, Diarmuid Coggins. Subs: Diarmaid Walsh (for Deane 42), Mikie Loftus (for D Coggins 44), Cathal Carolan (for McDonald 48), Edward Gough (for D Flynn 52), Diarmuid Fox (for Moyles 57).

Ballyhaunis: Adam Noone; David Cunnane, Keith Higgins, Jack Coyne; Conor Henry, Liam Herr, Joe Sutton; Connor Freeley, Cormac Phillips; Diarmuid Phillips, Aidan Sloyan, Ja Carney; Josh Webb, Eamonn Phillips, Mark Feeney. Subs: PJ Greally (for Freeley ht), Kyle Burke (for Coyne 41), Eoghan Collins and Ethan Kilbane (for Carney and Webb 47).

REF: Kevin Connelly (Hollymount-Carramore)