Ballyheane exit Connacht Junior Cup after penalty shoot-out

Connacht Junior Cup Quarter-Final

Ballyheane 1

Edeh 13               

Maree/Oranmore 1

McDonagh 48 

*Maree/Oranmore win 3-2 on penalties

In Ballyheane

After playing out a one-one draw in normal time and being unable to score in extra time, Ballyheane eventually exited the Connacht Junior Cup on penalties in the Sunday afternoon rain.

Ben Edeh put the Mayo side in front on thirteen minutes after good interplay with Nathan Reilly Doyle to fire past Galius Babonas in the Maree/Oranmore goal.

The pair combined on three other occasions in the same half – at least two of which should have extended their lead.

They failed to make their superiority count in the terrible conditions and the visitors were happy to get to the dressing room only a goal behind at the break.

A lapse in concentration at the back by Ballyheane let Malachy Black in to set up Liam McDonagh for the equaliser three minutes into the second half.

After that, the game could have gone either way, with play swinging from end to end in the wind and the rain.

Ethan McAuley and Ben Costello had chances to win it for Maree/Oranmore near the end, but Ballyheane held on. Costello had another chance near the end of extra time but was unable to finish.   

Zatonski, Smith and Whelan scored from the spot for Maree/Oranmore; Kilcoyne and Stevenson got the Ballyheane goals. When Babonas saved, man-of-the match Ryan Meldrum’s kick, Ballyheane were out of the Connacht Cup.

Full report, reaction and images will be featured in Tuesday’s Mayo News.