Westport St Patrick’s 1-9 Ballina Stephenites 1-6
Six times in their history Westport had lost finals in their attempts to win a first ever Mayo SFC title but it was a case of seventh heaven on Sunday as a burst of four points deep into the final quarter propelled them to a sensational victory over Ballina Stephenites.
Killian Kilkelly, a late addition to the Westport team, scored 1-4, including a second-half penalty. And although that goal was quickly cancelled out by one from Pádraig O’Hora to level the game for a sixth time, points by goalkeeper Paddy O’Malley and corner back Niall McManamon, and two from substitute Alan Kennedy, sent Westport into stoppage-time with a four points advantage.
No amount of high balls into the opposition’s goalmouth could save Ballina, who had entered the game as favourites having scored 14 goals over the course of their four previous games.
The battle of wills between Westport’s five-time All Star Lee Keegan and his Mayo team-mate, the charismatic O’Hora, was worth the admission alon, but it was Westport’s supporting cast of man-of-the-match Kilkelly, Oisín McLaughlin and Rory Brickenden who perhaps had an even greater influence on the outcome.
The first half was cagey yet enthralling, a point the biggest difference between the teams at any stage. Kilkelly had two of his side’s opening three points and Evan Regan kicked two of Ballina’s as the teams were deadlocked at 0-3 apiece after 22 minutes.
Westport nudged ahead for a third time through Kilkelly’s second converted free but it was the Stephenites – chasing a 37th Mayo SFC title – who headed for the dressingroom with the slenderest of leads, 0-5 to 0-4, thanks to excellent points at the close of the half by Sam Callinan and Conor McStay.
Any satisfaction Ballina might have taken, however, was tempered considerably by a black card to Regan on the stroke of half-time. Playing the opening 10 minutes of the second-half without the former Mayo attacker, Niall Heffernan’s team conceded just the one point but lost their young joint captain Dylan Thornton to a shoulder injury.
Westport’s penalty, awarded for corner back James Doherty’s touch on the ground after he had blocked a goalbound effort from Luke Tunney, and O’Hora’s scrambled response, ensured everything was to play for entering the final 10 minutes. And it was the men in blue who seized the moment, just as their manager Martin Connolly had asked them to.
Connolly had featured in the club’s previous final appearance all the way back in 1991, a game in which Westport scored a paltry 1-2. He spoke prior to Sunday about the team’s underperformance that day and implored the current vintage not to endure the same regret and disappointment. The players took heed of their manager’s advice and carved a special place in their club’s history, doing so despite the continued absence of injured Mayo defender Eoghan McLaughlin.
The first-time champions, who had only reached the final by virtue of a last-kick-of-the-game goal against Castlebar Mitchels in the semi-final, now enter the Connacht series at the quarter-final stage and will play Moycullen of Galway on November 13th/14th at MacHale Park.
WESTPORT: Paddy O’Malley (0-1, free); Luke Tunney, Rory Brickenden, Niall McManamon (0-1); Liam Shevlin, Brian McDermott, Paul Lambert; Lee Keegan, Brian O’Malley; Conal Dawson, Fionn McDonagh, Oisín McLaughlin; Kevin Keane (0-1), Mark Moran, Killian Kilkelly (1-4, 1-0 pen, three frees).
Subs: Pat Lambert for Dawson (h-t), Alan Kennedy (0-2, one free) for Keane (51), Shane Scott for Shevlin (58), Ronan Geraghty for Kilkelly (60+3).
BALLINA: David Clarke; Rory Tighe, David Tighe, James Doherty; Ciarán Boland, Pádraig O’Hora (1-0), Keith Tighe; Sam Callinan (0-1), Frank Irwin; Dylan Thornton, Conor McStay (0-1), Jack Irwin; Mikey Murray (0-1), Evan Regan (0-3, one free), Mark Birrane.
Subs: Luke Doherty for Thornton (35, inj), Niall Feeney for Birrane (45), Brendan Collins for Boland (48), Ciarán Treacy for Murray (58), Rory Morrin for J Irwin (60+2).
Referee: Paul Lydon (Kiltimagh)
