Ballina bridge the gap

Ballina’s Barrett bridges the gap

Ballina            0-14
Ballyhaunis    1-10

Michael Commins
McHale Park

SOME minutes after the presentation of the TJ Tyrell Cup on Saturday evening in Castlebar, members of the James Stephens, Ballina panel formed the bonding ‘huddle’ and launched into a verse of the Fields of Athenry in the middle of McHale Park. They had just come through a gripping county final and were enjoying the sweet taste of victory after David Barrett floated over the winning point two minutes into injury time. The unbridled joy of Ballina was undeniable after bridging an eleven-year gap, yet one had to feel for Ballyhaunis who were pipped at the post as they sought their fourth title on the trot.
That Ballyhaunis were worthy and true champions of Mayo over the past three years is beyond question. Winning four of the last six senior titles tells its own story. These have been the golden years of Ballyhaunis hurling and being shaded by a single point on this occasion will not take away from that fact when the history books relate their success story in the first decade of the 21st century.
Ballina jubilation was understandable. Coming just six days after the footballers won the Moclair Cup, this was a truly special double for the Ballina men. And for Kenny Golden, it was the culmination of a remarkable week, the first hurler in living memory to win a Mayo senior football and hurling medal in the same week.
Ballyhaunis looked slightly the sharper team in the first half. But they had a worrying start when Tadgh Buckley received a knee injury in the first minute. His replacement, Paul Lynch, incurred a very nasty finger injury later in the half and had to receive specialised treatment in Mayo GeneralHospital. Buckley bravely returned to the fray at that stage.
Some crisp shooting resulted in some fine points from play by Liam Lyons (two), Christy McCrudden and Stephen Hoban, displaying a cutting edge to the Ballyhaunis forward play. Keith Higgins, who had earlier converted a free and a ‘70, surprised the Ballina defence by blasting to the net from a 21 yard free, following a foul on Liam Lyons, 20 minutes into the game.
While Ballina displayed commendable courage, their efforts appeared more laboured in this half. However, two excellent points from Anthony Healy and Kevin Healy hinted at the quality in the half forward line in which Paul Reape was to blossom in the second half. Further points from frees by David Barrett (two) and Keith Barrett kept them within striking distance and left the interval score at 1-6 to 0-5 in favour of Ballyhaunis.
Any notion that the four point cushion would be enough to carry Ballyhaunis safely home began to dissipate early in the second half. David Barrett despatched two quick frees over the bar and it took a goal line clearance by Peter Healy to deny Paul Reape a goal a minute later.
When goalie Thomas Duffy came out the field to attempt a mammoth free from over 100 yards, and duly sent it between the Ballyhaunis posts, one sensed that Ballina had a new belief and purpose about their play. Duffy was the man who flashed over the equaliser ten minutes into the second half.
Ballyhaunis responded in style with Keith Higgins landing a 75 yard free and his brother Pierce shooting a terrific point from near the halfway line. The game was now developing into a real duel and Paul Reape floated over a sweet score for Ballina from the stand side and close to the sideline. The same player got on the end of a sweeping move featuring Kevin Healy and Harold Lewis to land the levelling point 19 minutes into the second half.
David Barrett gave Ballina the lead with a converted free but Keith Higgins pounced like a hare to intercept a Ballina sideline ball a minute later and he darted through the defence before flighting over a wonderful point for Ballyhaunis. Stephen Hoban restored the Ballyhaunis lead with a confident strike and the game was in the last minute of normal time when Thomas Duffy again launched a massive strike from a free in excess of 100 yards which dropped over the Ballyhaunis bar to tie the game once more.
A long range strike from a free by Keith Higgins appeared to be sailing over the bar but Duffy somehow managed to take it down. From his puck out Ballina were awarded a free and David Barrett coolly slotted it between the posts for the winning score.
The chairman of the Mayo Hurling Board, Luke Fitzmaurice, presented the TJ Tyrell Cup to Anthony Healy, captain of the Ballina James Stephens team. It was an especially proud occasion for Anthony, who also was a member of the last Ballina team to win the title in 1996.