Mayo SFC final: Ballina Stephenites 1-15 Westport 0-18
Five points would have won you the 2023 Mayo SFC final. Nine points would have done the trick in 2024. But if you wanted proof of how far the FRC has dragged Gaelic football in the space of 12 months it’s that in their attempt to land a third consecutive county title on Sunday, 1-15 wasn’t sufficient for Ballina Stephenites to get the job done. But nor was it fatal.
The defending champions required Frank Irwin to drive over one of those ‘new’ scores, a two-point free, from the last kick of stoppage time, to force a replay against a Westport side seeking only its second Moclair Cup victory. It’s just the seventh time the Mayo SFC final has ended in a draw.
What the new rules have also allowed for is big swings. So when Westport, in olden times, might have struggled to have recovered from falling eight points behind after just 20 minutes – particularly with their Mayo icon Lee Keegan already carried off the pitch – they never doubted themselves. And why would they? In the quarter-finals, when already reduced to 14 players, they had come from nine points behind in the second half to beat Breaffy by three.
And so it was here, that with five minutes left to play in Castlebar, Pat Holmes’s underdogs were now three points in front – a swing of 11 points in 35 minutes – only for Stephenites to unveil all their character and halt their gallop.
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The replay is next Saturday. No one among the 7,989 in attendance will want to miss it.
Keegan looks a major doubt but so too is former county team-mate Pádraig O’Hora in a race against time, as it was the Ballina defender’s tackle just as Keegan kicked Westport’s opening point that resulted in both players being helped from the pitch.
Another pair of former Mayo players, Evan Regan and Mike Murray, had kicked the trio of two pointers that helped ease Ballina into a 0-9 to 0-1 lead after 21 minutes, but Westport hit back with five points on the spin, including two by Finnbar McLaughlin, which set up a rip-roaring second-half.
McLaughlin’s older brother, Eoghan, had also blasted an excellent goal chance straight down the throat of Ballina goalkeeper David Clarke. But Westport also lucky that David Tighe had smacked an effort against their woodwork, while Luke Doherty blazed over their crossbar in the 34th minute with the goal at his mercy.
Four points from four substitutes maintained Westport’s newfound momentum that saw them take a 0-15 to 0-12 lead. However, Evan Regan punched a levelling goal on 58 minutes after which both sides exchanged the lead until Irwin’s last-gasp equaliser on the buzzer.
BALLINA STEPHENITES: David Clarke; Liam Golden, Luke Jordan, Ciarán Boland; Sam Callinan, Pádraig O’Hora, David Tighe; Mike Murray (0-1-0), Frank Irwin (0-1-1, tpf, f); Dylan Thornton, Conor McStay (0-0-1), Niall Feeney; Evan Regan (1-2-2, 1tpf, 1f), Jack Irwin (0-0-1), Luke Doherty (0-0-2).
Subs: Ciarán Treacy for O’Hora (14 mins, inj); Luke Feeney for Treacy (45); Ben Thornton for J Irwin (57); Seán Regan for Boland (60).
WESTPORT: Paddy O’Malley; Ben Doyle (0-0-1), Niall McManamon, Brian McDermott (0-1-0); Conal Dawson (0-0-1, f), Eoghan McLaughlin, Lorcan Silke; Rory Brickenden (0-0-1), Lee Keegan (0-0-1); Luke Tunney, Joey Holmes, Brian O’Malley; Finnbar McLaughlin (0-1-2), Killian Kilkelly (0-1-2, tpf, 1f), Colm Moran.
Subs: Joe Grady (0-0-1) for Keegan (14 mins, inj), Kevin Keane (0-0-1) for Silke (38, inj); Pat Lambert (0-0-1) for Moran (46); Tom Lambert (0-0-1) for Tunney (54).
Referee: Paul Lydon (Kiltimagh).
