County finalists Breaffy and Ballina Stephenites share the spoils in entertaining league clash

Mayo Senior Football League Division 1A

Breaffy 0-15

Ballina Stephenites 1-12

In Breaffy

In contrast to their last meeting in the 2023 Senior Championship final, Breaffy and Ballina played out an entertaining draw under the evening sunshine to open their Division 1A campaigns this evening. 

The West Mayo men, led by the impressive Conor O’Shea, held the lead for most of this contest but couldn’t shake off a determined Ballina side with Evan Regan in inspired form.

The former Mayo corner-forward hit 1-8, his goal a great piece of individual skill after Rory Morrin’s long-range shot dropped short and Regan gathered before firing to the net from close range.

Breaffy had a wide array of scorers - nine in total - as they controlled the game for the most part.

The home side held a three-point lead at the break, thanks in no small part to two phenomenal long-range points from O’Shea and direct play in to the impressive Ben Murphy at full-forward.

Ballina eliminated that deficit by the 42^nd minute and held the lead twice in the 46^th and 48^th minutes but were pegged back on each occasion.

O’Shea uncharacteristically missed two scorable frees in the last ten minutes with Mark Birrane seeing a chance drift wide for the North Mayo men deep into injury-time.

Read the full report in Tuesday’s Mayo News.