Ballintubber 0-14 Ballina 0-10
Mayo Senior League Division 1 March 31st 2017
Our senior team claimed two league points this evening in Clogher in what was a marked improvement over their poor showing against Breaffy last weekend. Mayo veteran Alan Dillon led the line admirably with an excellent display at centre-forward while Ruadhri O’Connor gave a solid performance in his first appearance in the Red and White jersey for nearly a year.
It was visitors who started the stronger, with Ballina accounting for the game’s first three scores. Alan Dillon eventually pointed in the 10th minute for the Abbeysiders before the lively Jamsie Finnerty forced a save from the formidable frame of Mayo goalie David Clarke before limping off with an injury. Three points from Dillon plus a single from Michael Plunkett and a lovely strike from distance from Diarmuid O’Connor put us ahead for the first time midway through the first half. Unfortunately, it would be the county man’s last action as he became our second injury casualty of the game shortly after. Nonetheless, a long range strike from wing-back Joe Geraghty on the stroke of half-time gave us a one-point lead.
A quick-fire score from Noel Geraghty straight from the throw-in followed by an Alan Plunkett point after a good turnover gave us breathing room early on in the second half. Two frees from Dillon were then nearly cancelled out when Ballina’s number 8 shot narrowly wide of Brendan Walsh’s goal after a solo run. Indeed, the North Mayo men pushed our full-back line hard for a decisive score, with neither side yielding a point for a tense ten-minute period in the third quarter of the game.
Substitute Stephen O’Malley was unlucky not to grab the winning goal with five minutes remaining when his daisy-cutter dragged to the left and wide of the Ballina goal. However, a point each from experienced campaigners Alan Plunkett and Alan Dillon was enough to see us through with four points to spare.
Ballintubber team that lined out: (1)Brendan Walsh (2)Jarlath Staunton (3)Brian Murphy (4)Myles Kelly (5)Joe Geraghty (0-1) (6)Michael Plunkett (0-1) (7)Ruadhri O’Connor (8)Diarmuid O’Connor (0-1) (9)Jason Gibbons (10)Stephen Finnerty (11)Alan Dillon (0-8, 5f) (12)Brian Walsh (13)Jamsie Finnerty (14)Alan Plunkett (0-2) (15)Noel Geraghty (0-1)
Substitutions used: Stephen O’Malley for Jamsie Finnerty, John Kerrigan for Diarmuid O’Connor, Padraic O’Connor for Stephen Finnerty, Damien McGing for Noel Geraghty