Magic Mullin helps snatch derby points for Ballinrobe
Both of these sides entered Saturday’s Mayo derby seeking their first league victory of the season. What transpired was a dramatic conclusion to a keenly contested joust, with a late rally from Ballinrobe resulting in the hosts snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
Westport were crestfallen at the full-time whistle, as the visitors had dictated large chunks of this clash only to suffer a gut-wrenching defeat at the hands of their South Mayo opponents.
The embryonic stages of this battle were nip and tuck, with both sides full of endeavour on what was a chilly November afternoon.
Westport looked in sharp form and the visitors drew first blood when Sam Walsh guided over a brilliantly taken penalty after eight minutes.
The locals didn’t panic and quickly regrouped, with team captain Steven Conroy, Rory Murphy, Sean Mullin, Jamie Treacy and Tom Staunton putting in a Trojan amount of work.
However, Westport were patient and they plundered the opening five pointer after 23 minutes. Some sustained pressure by the West Mayo side resulted in possession falling to Ben Ruane Cooper and he bolted towards the try line and claimed the touchdown. Walsh was given the subsequent dead-ball opportunity and his perfectly placed conversion mustered a 10 point cushion for his team.
Ballinrobe needed a break and it arrived on 38 minutes when they were awarded a penalty, which was expertly struck between the posts by the experienced Conroy.
One minute later, Westport’s Ross Burke picked up a yellow card and was sin-binned and his loss was a worry for the visiting bench.
The Black and White ended the half in a sprightly fashion and Conroy’s second penalty of the afternoon was a timely boost for his side, who trailed by just four points at the short whistle – 10-6.
Westport reshuffled their game plan on the resumption, however, similar to the opening half the early exchanges were tense and cagey, before Walsh guided over another brilliant penalty for the visitors on 55 minutes.
Walsh could have bridged further daylight between the sides on 64 minutes, but this time his radar was slightly askew and his dead-ball effort tailed agonisingly wide.
The locals introduced Ballinrobe footballer Evan O’Brien into the fray on 66 minutes, and he certainly made a telling impact.
Westport nearly manufactured what would have been a match winning try on 68 minutes but the visitors spilled possession, allowing the aforementioned O’Brien to snaffle up possession and crucially clear the danger.
The hosts took full advantage of the let-off and upped the ante, which resulted in a morale boosting try on 71 minutes. A sustained period of home pressure near the Westport try line saw a mass of bodies battle for possession and ended with Sean Mullin crossing the whitewash to pinch the five-pointer. Conroy was once again deadly from the placed ball and his conversion levelled proceedings (13-13) much to the delight of the home supporters.
Just when it appeared that things had improved for the hosts, disaster struck at the other end as Westport were awarded another penalty and Walsh guided over what appeared to be the match-winning score after 75 minutes. However, a doughty Ballinrobe refused to bend the knee and they finished the tie in swashbuckling fashion.
On 78 minutes and with full-time on the horizon, a Ballinrobe counteroffensive luckily fell the way of Sean Mullin and he made a lightning run towards the Westport try line before clinching a superb touchdown, with Conroy guiding over a marvellous conversion to muster a four point cushion.
Westport huffed and puffed as they tried to salvage the situation, but it was the hosts who were savouring a much needed victory at the full-time whistle.
Ballinrobe: Kevin Staunton, Peter Finlay, Craig Hansberry, Patrick Mylotte, David Madden, Jamie Treacy, Michael Walsh, Rory Murphy, Cillian Walsh, Steven Conroy, Jarlath Mullin, Sean Mullin, Shane Biggins, Killian McAleenan, Tom Staunton. Replacements: Evan O’Brien, Sean McTigue, Stephen O’Connor, Thomas Lynagh.
Westport: Cian Mulqueen, Ross Burke, Brendan McLoughlin, Thomas Prendergast, Chris Ryan, Patrick Cafferkey, Diarmuid Glavey, Kevin Corcoran, Sam Walsh, Stephen Loftus, Ben Ruane Cooper, Emmett Aylward, Adam Sheridan, Calum Cawley, Conor McGraynor.
Replacement: Ciaran Knowles.
REF: Nathan Kearns.
