Sarsfields claim scalp of understrength champions
Jack Mahon (pictured) and Patrick Lenehan both kicked 0-3 in Charlestown's semi-final win over Ballina Stephenites.
While there was a dull edge to Ballina Stephenites’ attack, Charlestown Sarsfields were good value for the two-point win in Saturday’s County Cup semi-final.
They will be proud of their efforts in beating the reigning county senior champions but Niall Heffernan will not be overly concerned with the result; of the 15 players that started, only Evan Regan, Ciaran Boland, David Tighe and Mark Birrane started in the Moclair Cup final five months ago.
It was a day for the umbrella, the windbreaker and the sunblock all in one at Fr O’Hara Park and in the first-half, Charlestown had a powerful gust behind them.
It took the visitors 15 minutes to conjure up their first score of the afternoon. Meanwhile, Patrick Goldrick and Jack Mahon had both kicked over for Charlestown within a minute of one another. Last season’s top scorer in the senior championship, Evan Regan, got Ballina moving with a point from a free.
Charlestown hit back with two more quickfire points. Goldrick’s shot from distance dropped just short but Ballina’s attempt to clear their lines ended with the ball in the hands of Kiefer Craig, who helped himself to a point from close range. Two minutes later, Patrick Lenehan went up to challenge Ballina goalkeeper Eoghan Coleman for the ball and came out the better. He snuck away from a defender and sent the ball between the posts.
Ballina livened up and cut the gap back to a point. Kevin Newell finished a clever Ballina move that started when Evan Regan flicked a pass over the heads of two Charlestown defenders to Luke Jordan. Jordan found Newell in the centre and his shot had too much zest, zipping over the bar rather than under it. Regan followed up with a free before Jordan got into a similar situation once more wide of the goal. His pass across goal met by the flailing arm of Thomas Leonard and his attempt was cleared off the line by Niall Drudy.
Niall Woods struck next for Charlestown, finishing after Jack Mahon cleverly took his free quickly. Regan and Mahon swapped points to make it 0-6 to 0-4 to ‘Town at half-time.
Patrick Lenehan extended the lead to three at the start of the second-half but Ballina found an equalising goal. Evan Regan picked out Ciaran Boland who found Sean Regan in acres of space and he finished with aplomb. Charlestown struggled in the third quarter, the height of their uncertainty coming when Patrick Walsh took too long with a kickout, surrendering possession to Ballina. Evan Regan fired over the resulting free to give Ballina the lead for the first and only time in the contest.
Charlestown’s lapse was temporary and Patrick Goldrick scored once more to make it level. Then Patrick Lenehan scored from a mark to restore the lead. The home team managed the game really well from here on out, drawing fouls and keeping the ball to themselves. Jack Mahon put the icing on the cake with an insurance point from a free late on.
Westport await Charlestown in the County Cup final, with Hollymount-Carramore having conceded their semi-final on St Patrick’s weekend.
