Lavelle brace secures third straight win for Town
Ballina Town's Benny Lavelle (wearing 10)scores his second of the game. Picture: John Corless
It won’t matter to Ballina Town that this game lacked quality. They beat Ballyheane 2-0 at Beleek Park on Saturday evening with Benny Lavelle scoring both goals and that’s all that matters.
Despite other shortcomings, the game was exciting to watch for the neutral, with play swinging from end to end like a cup tie. A strong wind spoiled the first half, and light rain added to the difficulty of controlling the ball. The visitors had more possession, but Ballina were more composed when it mattered.
Miqueias Dos Santos Souza Meireles had the first effort of the match, drawing an early save from Luca Meldrum. Ballina then almost took the lead when Dylan McKee set up Lavelle, whose shot came back off the upright and away.
Ballyheane's JP Mulcahy looked to break through shortly after, but Jason Cawley had other ideas. Nathan Reilly Doyle fired a dangerous low ball across the Ballina box, only for Emmet Peyton to cut it out smartly.
Lavelle and McKee combined again, but McKee's shot missed the target. Ballyheane continued to probe without creating much of substance. Tommy Forde halted Mulcahy with a strong challenge before Dylan Stevenson sent an effort over the top but Reilly-Doyle couldn’t connect. Goodhope Mutendebvure curled wide from distance and PJ Gilmartin, operating on the wing, forced a save from Meldrum as Ballina grew into the contest.
Two minutes before the break, Ballina took the lead. McKee sent a clever pass through the Ballyheane defence, and Lavelle stayed composed and finished low beyond Meldrum. It was a sickening blow for Ballyheane as they headed to the dressing room.
Ballina’s defence – Daire O’Connor, Stephen Melvin, Jason Cawley and Tommy Forde – were outstanding throughout. They had the measure of Ballyheane’s front line of Finnerty, Mulcahy and Reilly Doyle.
Cawley nearly added to the lead shortly after the break when he turned a corner into the side netting and a Mutendebvure header was saved by Meldrum. Ballyheane, to their credit, kept pushing. and James Finnerty fired over, but the longer the game went, the less convincing Ballyheane’s threat became.
McKee had the best of several chances to settle it. After a sharp move involving Gilmartin, Lavelle and Dos Santos Souza Meireles, he sent his header over. Ballina continued to look sharper on the counter. Gilmartin set Lavelle away but the striker’s effort curled wide of the far post. McKee was then denied twice in quick succession by Meldrum following a scramble at a Ballina corner.
Eight minutes from time, Ballina wrapped it up. McKee found Lavelle again and this time the striker drove past Meldrum without fuss. It was a ruthless finish from an experienced goalscorer. Substitute Ryan Moran went close at the death but his effort flew just wide.
Ballina Town manager Mick Duffy was pleased with the way his side had handled the match. “We’re improving all the time,” he told the . “We have learned how to manage leads. Today we dug deep and held on to our 1-0 lead well, until we got our second. Fair play to Ballyheane, they came at us. They are a good side. They are well coached and they have good fight in their play. We had a new back four today and they did very well.”
Player of the Match, Benny Lavelle, thought Ballina could have been further ahead earlier. “It was a tough game,” he said. “We should have been more ahead at half time with the chances we had. It was a scrappy second half – not the best of football. Conditions weren’t the best but we got the win. It’s three points on the table. I am kind of disappointed I didn’t get a few more goals."
Ballyheane captain Seán Kilcoyne reflected on the fine margins that decided it. “We competed well. Maybe a little bit of quality in their side told in the end,” Kilcoyne said. “They transitioned well. They hit us on the counter at times. The goal just before half time hit us hard, but we did well for the first twenty minutes of the second half. It’s a tough place to come trying to get a result.”
Ballina deserved the win for their economy in front of goal and the discipline of a reshaped defence that never let Ballyheane settle. Lavelle’s finishing, and Ballina’s ability to make the most of limited possession, were enough to claim the points. The win moved Ballina up to second in the table overnight, with thirteen points from eight games. Ballyheane have ten from seven games.
Michael Fahy was excellent in midfield throughout for Ballyheane. He cut out several attempts and his forward passes tested the Ballina defence. The club’s season has been in turmoil over the suspensions handed down by the Mayo League for the failure of the club to release its players for Oscar Traynor duty in protest. Their appeal has been thrown out by the Connacht FA on a technicality and is now heading towards the FAI for a ruling.
