Second-half fire seals deal for Ballagh’-Kilmovee

East Mayo MFC ‘A’ Final 

Ballaghaderreen-Kilmovee 2-13 

St Jarlath’s 1-12 

Mike Kelly at COE Bekan 

Ballaghaderreen-Kilmovee came together to claim the East Mayo minor ‘A’ football championship with a scintillating second-half performance which blew the St Jarlath’s challenge away.

This battle of the amalgamated clubs lived up to its billing as the ‘A’ final, with both sides going hammer and tongs at each other to win every breaking ball and tackles flew in across the pitch which would make most wince.

The winners became so thanks to a dominant period in the second-half where they outscored their opponents by a goal and eight points to a single point between the 40th and 57th minutes, to turn around a three point deficit into a seven point lead.

In contrast, it was a slow start to the game as both sides felt each other out and hit two poor wides each. Ballagh’-Kilmovee held a two point advantage by the 10th minute, as Conor Moriarty, twice, and the impressive Ronan Coleman raised white flags after Mark Feeney had opened the scoring from inches inside the two point arc in the fourth minute.

All of a sudden, St Jarlath’s (Ballyhaunis and Eastern Gaels) had the lead in the eleventh minute when a two point effort from Jason Jennings dropped short and the blinding evening sun caused goalkeeper Noel Regan to lose flight of the ball which unfortunately for him dipped just under the crossbar.

Michael Morley added a point three minutes later to leave two in it before Oran Frain and Moriarty slotted a pair of frees to level the match.

Jennings could have hit the net for a second time in the 20th minute as he bore down on goal from the right wing but the full-forward opted to fist the ball over the bar to edge his side ahead.

Not taking that goal chance came back to haunt St Jarlath’s three minutes later when Ryan O’Sullivan fed the ball to Oisin Duffy on the left wing and the half-forward ran straight for goal. Despite James Michael Jennings narrowing the gap in goal, the Ballagh’-Kilmovee man was able to fire the ball home to a huge cheer.

The sides would go in level at the break when Feeney fired over a massive two pointer from the outside of his right boot on the stroke of half-time.

John Jennings and a Feeney double pushed Jarlath’s into a three points lead early in the second-half but a tame shot straight at Regan in the Ballagh’-Kilmovee goal by Jason Jennings would impede St Jarlath’s greatly as the boys from the border took control of the game form the 40th minute onwards.

Three unanswered points from Moriarty levelled matters before Feeney edged his side ahead once again. Then came the big turning point in the 48th minute.

Declan Duffy never gave up chasing Jason Jennings as he drove at goal and the centre-back excellently dispossessed the St Jarlath’s attacker. From there, Ballaghaderreen-Kilmovee moved directly up the pitch and Ryan O’Sullivan drew out the last defender before passing to James Kilroy who cooly slotted the ball into the far corner.

Aaron Duffy did have the ball in the net for St Jarlath’s a minute later but he was adjudged to have been in the square and Ballagh’-Kilmovee didn’t need another invitation to drive the result home.

Coleman, Duffy, Moriarty and a two point effort from Oran Frain was only matched by a Mark Feeney point before Liam Nolan fired over a late two point effort for St Jarlath’s right on the final whistle.

Scorers – Ballaghaderreen-Kilmovee: Conor Moriarty 0-0-7 (4f), Oisin Duffy 1-0-1, James Kilroy 1-0-0, Oisin Frain 0-1-1, Ronan Coleman 0-0-2.

St Jarlath’s: Mark Feeney 0-0-5 (2f), Jason Jennings 1-0-1, Adam Kelly and Liam Nolan 0-1-0 each, John Jennings and Michael Morley 0-0-1 each.

Ballaghaderreen-Kilmovee: Noel Regan; Mathew Naughton, Callum Sweeney, Harry Dooney; Liam Boyle, Declan Duffy, Ronan Coleman; Sean Buckley, Oran Frain; Oisin Duffy, Conor O’Gara, James Puncheon; James Kilroy, Conor Moriarty, Ryan O’Sullivan. Sub: Aaron Duffy St Jarlath’s: James Michael Jennings; Conor Smith, Tom Donnellan, Ethan Kilbane; Kyle Burke, Rowan Johnston, Michael Dee; Mark Feeney, Adam Kelly; John Jennings, Dara Flanagan, Cillian Caulfield; Liam Nolan, Jason Jennings, Michael Morley. Subs: Eamon Flanagan, Jake Powers.

REF: Jon Finn (Aghamore)