Mayo SFC/ Ballina 3-6 Charlestown 0-13: Ballina, the dominant force in Mayo club football, yesterday won the Paddy Moclair cup for the first time since their All-Ireland season in 2005.
Not for the first time, the Brady bunch played a huge role for the Stephenites and Ronan McGarrity, who missed Mayo's championship this summer through illness, had a very impressive match.
"You can play football all you want. But what Ronan McGarrity went through this year - that is why Ballina won. I would put that on record. Football isn't as big as everyone thinks," said David Brady. "He had a battle there this year and to come back and win a county title and play as man of the match in the semi-final and final, that is what it is about. And that is what Ballina is about."
Brady too had a massive role in this final, causing havoc on the edge of the square in an eight-minute spell. He created Ballina's first goal in the 35th minute, winning a high ball and slipping a clever pass to his brother Ger, who finished wonderfully.
Four minutes later, David Brady threw himself at a long ball sent in by his brother Liam and fisted his team's second goal. And three minutes after that, he foiled a Charlestown clearance and Liam Brady flicked a pass for Stephen Hughes to bury the shot.
Charlestown were stunned by the concession of goals and played catch-up thereafter. In the first 20 minutes they had looked the much sharper team.
Aidan Higgins set Martin Mulvaney up for a fine point on eight minutes and from there Charlestown played with increasing boldness. Tom Parsons landed a fine score from distance after his midfield partner, David Tiernan, grounded Ballina's McGarrity with a clattering challenge.
Tiernan was booked for that incident and when he committed another hard foul on the Ballina leaper just a minute later, Charlestown elected to replace him.
Tiernan had been involved in a splendid Charlestown point just prior to that, thumping a ball into Paul Mulligan, and the forwards played keep ball before Tony Mulligan arced a high score to leave them 0-7 to 0-2 ahead.
Charlestown goalkeeper John Casey, the lightning Mayo forward of yesteryear - made a brilliant double save from Liam Brady and Stephen Hughes.
Ballina posted David Brady on the edge of the square from 10 minutes in, and every time the Stephenites sent long ball in Brady caused problems.
He snapped a point on 28 minutes to leave Ballina trailing by a mere three points. After the break, Ballina looked much more authoritative and after the goal raid they had the experience to close out the game.
BALLINA: D Clarke: K Golden, M Wynne, E Devanney; B Ruane, C Leonard, D O'Mahony; R McGarrity, D Brady (1-1); E Casey, P Harte, G Brady (1-3); S Hughes (1-0), P McGarry (0-2), L Brady. Subs: A Tighe for E Casey (40 mins), A Kelly for S Hughes (54 mins), B O'Hora for P McGarry (56 mins).
CHARLESTOWN: J Casey; E Casey, S Lenehan, D Caffrey; D Higgins (0-1), A Higgins, K Deignan; D Tiernan (0-1), T Parsons (0-1); R Haran (0-2), M Caffrey, M Mulvaney (0-1); O Conway (0-1), T Mulligan (0-1), P Mulligan (0-5, frees). Subs: M Divilly for D Tiernan (27 mins), D Tiernan for M Caffrey (half-time), M Caffrey for B Conway (52 mins), R Lenehan for D Caffrey (58), C Quinn for M Divilly (59 mins).
Referee: M Murphy(Ballinrobe).
