Westport come good to squeeze past battling Balla

Mayo Senior Football Championship Round 1

Balla 0-12

Westport 0-14

In Balla 

AN almighty effort from Balla couldn’t stop Westport from squeezing past them in this entertaining, full-blooded championship bout. 

The game was level eight times before Martin Connolly’s men nudged their noses in front in the middle of the second half. After that, there was no way back for a Balla side who kicked at least ten wides and were turned over on numerous occasions. 

Star performances from Rory Brickenden and Killian Kilkelly were among the highlights for a Westport team that were quite unlike the team that blitzed Castlebar Mitchels in the recent Division 1 final. 

Very little separated the teams in the first half, which Balla won 0-7 0-6 thanks to frees from Colm Murphy and Gary McHale and a point from play from Cillian Goulding. 

Westport introduced Lee Keegan and Eoghan McLaughlin after the break, but it wasn’t until the 44th minute that the Coveys pulled ahead. 

Two points from Conal Dawson (1 free), one from Killian Kilkelly (1 free) and a point from play from substitute Paul Lambert put the victors four ahead.

Balla hit back with frees from Gary McHale, but there wasn’t enough time left to bridge the two-point gap as Westport outlasted a tough, testing championship opener. 

A full report, plus reaction from Westport’s Lee Keegan and Balla’s Alan Nolan, will be carried in Tuesday’s Mayo News.