Tough blow for Town as visitors Westport claim victory
Anxious moments in the Ballina Town goalmouth during the Mayo FA Benson Cup tie with Westport United at Belleek Park last Saturday evening. Pictures: David Farrell Photography
For the second week in a row, Westport United were forced into extra-time by North Mayo opposition in cup competition. But like they did against Conn Rangers in the Mayo Super Cup, they saw off rivals Ballina Town to advance to the Benson Cup semi-final.
It is a game that United will feel they should have wrapped up in normal time. They had two goals disallowed at the end of each half and captain Jack Dawson saw a glorious chance to win it at the death wasted. But, to their credit, strikes at the start and end of extra-time saw off Ballina Town, who struggled to create clear-cut chances of their own throughout.
After a quiet opening, Westport United got the breakthrough on 14 minutes but not without a scare at the other end beforehand. Goalkeeper James Robinson saw a pass out from the back intercepted by Jamie Cawley, who fed the ball to PJ Gilmartin. The Super League’s current top scorer turned and struck, but his effort curled wide.
From the restart, the ball was knocked long to Dylan O’Malley on the left and his diagonal ball picked out Serhii Morarenko, who lifted his shot over the oncoming Town goalkeeper Matthew Fox to put the visitors in front.
They almost doubled their lead on 23 minutes. Fox failed to deal with a Dylan O’Malley effort and United kept the ball alive. O’Malley, who had an excellent game for the visitors, picked out Morarenko but his header was blocked on the line by Daire O’Connor.
Again, Dylan O’Malley and Morarenko looked to combine on 38 minutes, but Fox was quick to intercept O’Malley’s cross to prevent a tap-in for the Ukrainian. Morarenko had the ball in the net for a second time on the stroke of half-time, but the linesman’s flag was raised for offside.
United picked up in the second-half where they left off in the first. Harrison Quinn, Kevin Kitterick and Dylan O’Malley all had shots before the hour mark, but none troubled the Town goal.
A rare opening in the second-half for Ballina saw Devers link up with Gilmartin, whose first time cross almost picked out Cawley on 78 minutes but he could not get his outstretched leg to make any contact on the cross.
As the game got to added time, United substitute Darren Browne had the ball in the net as he followed up on the rebound of Dylan O’Malley’s initial effort for what looked to be the insurance goal but again, the linesman’s flag came to the rescue for Town.
Just when it looked like United were safely through, the Town equalised. A rare lapse by the United defence saw Gilmartin latch onto Dylan McKee’s ball over the top and he beat the onrushing Robinson for the leveller.
United almost nicked it at the death with a gilt-edged chance that fell to captain Jack Dawson, but his header was tamely at the Town goalkeeper.
Again, United were dragged into an extra-time cup tie but two minutes into the first period, Alex Halpin restored United’s lead with an excellent strike.
Town themselves had a wonderful chance to level again when Oran Canavan’s through-ball picked out Gilmartin but he saw his shot brilliantly saved by Gary Cunningham, who was in for the injured Robinson.
The second period of extra-time saw both teams begin to tire, but United put the game beyond doubt with a minute remaining as a long ball down the field was knocked into the path of Darren Browne and like he did in Mount Falcon a week previously, his strike sealed United’s place in the last four.
Ballina Town: Matthew Fox, Martin Delaney, Stephen Melvin, Chris Maughan, Daire O’Connor, Oran Canavan, Jamie Moyles, Dylan McKee, PJ Gilmartin, Jesse Devers, Jamie Cawley. Subs: Ollie Feeney (for Melvin ht), Matthew Traynor (for Moyles 59), Tomas Doherty (for Feeney 87), Joe Siegman (for Cawley 96).
Westport United: James Robinson, Cillian McGlade, Alex Halpin, Noah Massey, Harrison Quinn, Caoimhin O’Toole, Serhii Morarenko, Dylan O’Malley, Dan O’Malley, Jack Dawson, Kevin Kitterick. Subs: Darragh Reynolds (for Quinn 60, inj), Sean Casey (for Morarenko 69), Cian Halpin (for Dan O’Malley 83), Darren Browne (for Kitterick 89), Gary Cunningham (for Robinson 90+3, inj).
REF: Damien McGrath
