Breaffy beat Mayo senior champions Ballina Stephenites

MAYO SENIOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1A ROUND 1

BALLINA STEPHENITES 0-12 BREAFFY 1-11

In Ballina 

Conor O’Shea’s fourth-minute goal made the difference as Breaffy beat reigning county senior champions Ballina Stephenites in their own backyard this evening.

Both teams gave good accounts despite missing numerous regulars, but Breaffy were the more consistent team throughout the hour. 

Played out in splendid evening sunshine, both teams brought pace and physicality to proceedings. 

All but one of their starting forwards scored, but Ballina were too dependent on their star performer Ben Thornton (who finished with 0-5) for scores.

Breaffy cut them open at the back several times. The guests drew two early saves from David Clarke, but the ex-Mayo goalie could not be faulted when Joe Mellett fed Conor O’Shea to palm home the winning goal to give Breaffy the lead. 

Ballina battled away and did enough to lead 0-8 to 1-4 at the break. 

However, Niall Heffernan’s men failed to score in the second half until wing-back Ciaran Boland pointed in the 49th minute. 

Scores from Pearse Deane (2, 1 free), Conor O’Shea and two ‘45s from Jack Livingstone were enough to keep Breaffy ahead before substitute Oisín Costello gave them comfort with an injury-time point. 

Luke Jordan’s 63rd-minute point came too late for the county champions, who await the return of three Mayo panelists plus several other key players. 

A full report plus reaction from Breaffy manager Seán Deane will be carried in Tuesday’s Mayo News.