Strong second half sees Ballintubber see off stubborn Gaels
Ballintubber's Cillian O'Connor tries to get round Ruairi Keane of Mayo Gaels. Picture: Conor McKeown
They haven’t gone away you know. Those were the words of many leaving Ray Prendergast Memorial Park on Sunday afternoon, where Ballintubber kicked fifteen second half points to see of a Mayo Gaels side who were right in the game until the final quarter.
The usual suspects Cillian and Diarmuid O’Connor were bright throughout, but club stalwarts Stephen O’Malley and Keelan McDonnell were outstanding, with O’Malley getting 1-4 from play and oozing class anytime the ball was let in. Ethan Lyons was very good at corner back, with the energetic Michael Plunkett, Brian Walsh and David McHale emptying the tank going from goal to goal throughout.
Ballintubber weren’t particularly outstanding or scintillating you would say but their efficiency in front of goal is as good as anyones. They don’t take any stupid shots or kick bad wides, and always find the man in the right position in front of goal, and they showed great composure in front of goal, in the second half especially.
It took both teams a while to get going as most of the first half was a dull affair. Ballintubber were certainly the better side, but Mayo Gaels were also solid. Yet they found scores extremely hard to come by, with Ballintubber even in the new rules well able to get bodies back and pack the defence.
John Gallagher was Mayo Gaels’ best player on the day and got them off to a good start with two early efforts, and Ballintubber were clipping their own through Keelan McDonnell, and O’Malley. Damien Colemen’s men could have had a goal if it not for the post denying Cillian O’Connor who was well spotted by Michael Plunkett inside.
Peter Gallagher kicked a free for Mayo Gaels who would then go 14 minutes of the half without scoring, while Ballintubber entered a strong period of dominance.
Points from Josh Mahon (two), Cillian O’Connor (two). Jason Gibbons and Michael Plunkett saw them go five ahead nearing the end of the half.
Mayo Gaels hit the net after a scintillating run from Andrew Quinn powered through the Ballintubber defence, who found David Quinn who found the net in emphatic fashion, rattling the ball in under the bar.
It was a big goal for a side who had only kicked three points and were now only two behind, however Stephen O’Malley had the perfect response with a goal of his own just a minute later, smashing the ball off the back stanction of the goal.
Ballintubber led by 1-8 to 1-3 at the break without every getting out of second gear, but Mayo Gaels came out swinging in the second half and Ronan Commons pointed before John Gallagher kicked an excellent two pointer.
A textbook two-pointer from Cillian O’Connor soon followed, but Mayo Gaels were now beginning to dominate the game. Andrew Quinn and Gallagher got poachers scores, before David Quinn had another goal, this one not as spectacular as the first but just as effective, rolling in a goalmouth scramble after great work from Jack Fallon to get to the endline and put the ball in.
The game was now level with twenty to play and at that point the game looked like it could have gone either way. Looking back, Ballintubber are just too experienced, and the reality is they were never really in trouble and quickly put the game to bed. A brace of two pointers from Ciaran Gavin, followed by points from Lyons, O’Malley and Walsh had them back up and running, with Gallagher replying with two for Mayo Gaels.
Ballintubber were pulling away though and further points from Keelan McDonnell (two) had them six up, before O’Malley kicked two classy scores to leave them eight points up and truly cruising. It happened very quickly, and the clinical way they took every opportunity that came when they arrived, was very formidable for other teams in the county. Cillian O’Connor and John Gallagher traded scores in the dying minutes, but this game was well and truly over, a comprehensive seven-point victory.
Scorers - Ballintubber: Stephen O’Malley 1-0-4, Cillian O’Connor 0-1-4 (2f), Ciaran Gavin 0-2-2, Keelan McDonnell 0-0-3, Josh Mahon 0-0-2, Michael Plunkett, Bryan Walsh, Ethan Lyons and Jason Gibbons 0-0-1 each.
Mayo Gaels: John Gallagher 0-2-5, (3f), David Quinn 2-0-0, Peter Gallagher (f), Ronan Commons, Andrew Quinn and Adam Gallagher (f) 0-0-1 each.
Ballintubber: Brendan Walsh; David McHale, Brian Murphy, Ethan Lyons; Michael Plunkett, Diarmuid O’Connor, Bryan Walsh; Jason Gibbons, Jack Prendergast; Keelan McDonnell, Cillian O’Connor, Noel Geraghty; Ciaran Gavin, Stephen O’Malley, Josh Mahon. Subs: Tiernan Brady (for N Geraghty 10-inj), Stephen Burke (for McHale 49), Oran Murphy (for Mahon 56), Joe Geraghty (for McDonnell 56).
Mayo Gaels: Nathan McGurrin; Alan Brennan, Ruairi Keane, Jack Fallon; Ryan McGurrin, Liam Hughes, John Finn; Ethan Henry, Adam Gallagher; David Quinn, Kevin Lynch, Andrew Quinn; Peter Gallagher, John Gallagher, Ronan Commons. Subs: Dara Patten (for P Gallagher 36), Jack Jordan (for Finn 55).
REF: Frank Flynn (Aghamore)
