Ballina Town U-21s book cup final meeting with Castlebar Celtic

Mayo U-21 Cup semi-final 

Conn Rangers 2

Collins 36, 82               

Ballina Town 4

M Cowan 47, 75 pen O’Connor 70, S Monaghan 37

John Corless, Mount Falcon.

Ballina Town deservedly booked a place in the CMR Fire and Security Under 21 ‘A’ Final against Castlebar Celtic, with a solid win over Conn Rangers on Saturday afternoon.

After all the rain and snow of the previous few days, the pitch remained solid and both sides played good attacking football. Conn shaded the first half possession but didn’t create a clear chance until Tadgh O’Sullivan put JP Collins through to put them in front after thirty-six minutes. Within a minute, Town equalised through man of the match, Sam Monaghan, when he finished well from Tiernan Tighe’s pass. 

Had Rangers been able to take their lead to the dressing room, things might be different, but the second half belonged to the visitors. They switched things around in the middle and went in front two minutes after the restart through Mathew Cowan. Town were hungrier and sharper than Rangers and Daire O’Connor and Cowan added to Ballina’s tally, before Collins got a spectacular second, eight from the end to put a better complexion on the result for Conn Rangers.