AIB Connacht Club SFC: Ballina finish strongly

Ballina Stephenites manager Niall Heffernan. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
AIB Connacht Club SFC Quarter-Final

Ballina Stephenites 1-15 North London Shamrocks

By Kevin Egan at Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence

With 50 minutes played, North London Shamrocks were right there in contention to secure the first ever win by a London club in the AIB Connacht club SFC, but their failure to fully exploit the strong breeze that blew at their backs in the first half ultimately cost them as Ballina Stephenites found the scores to set up a tilt at St. Brigid’s next weekend in Roscommon.

In the blink of an eye the Mayo champions were out of sight as Frank Irwin, Mike Murray and Ben Thornton hoisted over two-pointers in quick succession to take the possibility of an upset win off the table, though there will be no doubt in the Stephenites’ camp about the level of improvement that they will need to find to overcome the 2023 Connacht champions next weekend.

They got the dream start, registering the first two points through Luke Doherty and Dylan Thornton and while North London Shamrocks hit back with an excellent double from Joe McGill, a driving run from Sam Callinan opened the door for Luke Doherty to scramble in a goal approaching the midway point of the first half.

Callinan and Seán Regan were excellent along the spine of the Stephenites’ defence with Mike Murray holding court at midfield in a strong fashion, and while Shamrocks offered more of a scoring threat in the second quarter, three quick-fire points before half-time seemed to indicate that Ballina would pull away at their ease once they turned around to play with the breeze.

Michael Carroll kicked two good scores in his role as target man, while McGill raised a second orange flag from a free but an 0-7 to 1-3 lead approaching the break looked anaemic, and once Callinan, Conor McStay and Murray pointed, it was hard to see a way back.

Paddy Dolan split the posts with his first possession after half-time, however, and through sheer force of grit and will, exemplified by players like Nathan McIlwaine, Daniel Clarke and Liam Gordon, Shamrocks edged their way back to level terms.

Had that trend continued, Ballina’s persistence in trying to split the posts from way out the field would have been cited as their downfall, but after missing the target with four attempts from range, those three quickfire scores eased their nerves and saw them home.

Scorers for Ballina Stephenites: Luke Doherty 1-1, Mike Murray 0-3 (1tp), Sam Callinan 0-2, Conor McStay 0-2, Frank Irwin 0-2 (tp), Ben Thornton 0-2 (tp), David Tighe 0-1, Dylan Thornton 0-1, Evan Regan 0-1f.

Scorers for North London Shamrocks: Joe McGill 0-6 (1tp, 1tpf, 0-2f), Michael Carroll 0-2, Michael Miller 0-1, Paddy Dolan 0-1.

Ballina Stephenites: David Clarke; Liam Golden, Seán Regan, Luke Jordan; David Tighe, Sam Callinan, Daniel Feeney; Mike Murray, Frank Irwin; Niall Feeney, Conor McStay, Dylan Thornton; Evan Regan, Luke Doherty, Ciarán Treacy.

Subs: Keith Tighe for Feeney (25), Barry Walsh for Treacy (39), Ben Thornton for S Regan (39), Luke Feeney for E Regan (56), Ciarán Sweeney for Murray (60).

North London Shamrocks: Ronan McGeehin; Eoin Flanagan, Ben McKenna, Nathan McIlwaine; Conor McKelvey, Marc Friel, Tom Lenihan; Daniel Clarke, Liam Murphy; Joe McGill, Michael Miller, Ciarán Diver; Michael O'Reilly, Michael Carroll, Rory Morrin.

Subs: Paddy Dolan for Lenihan (30), Darragh Spillane for Flanagan (42), John McDyre for McKelvey (52).

Referee: James Molloy (Salthill-Knocknacarra).