Ballina beaten on penalties in Sligo

CONNACHT SENIOR CLUB FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL

Coolera Strandhill 0-9

Ballina Stephenites 0-9

(After extra time, Coolera Strandhill won 5-4 on penalties)

SLIGO

AFTER a long afternoon in Markievicz Park, Ballina bowed out of the Connacht Championship when outscored by Coolera Strandhill in a penalty shoot-out.

There had been little or nothing between the teams all day, but Ballina will be kicking themselves after losing a two-point lead in the dying moments of extra-time when it seemed as if the Mayo champions were head ed for the provincial final.

However, the Sligo champions never gave up and two late frees balanced the scores and set the penalty shoot-out in train. The spot-kick competition ended in a 5-4 victory for the home side and unleashed scenes of wild delight among their large and vocal support.

The opening half was a battle of wills and wits as effort trumped excitement at every turn. Ballina kicked four wides in the opening few minutes and didn't add another for the rest of the half while Coolera Strandhill were equally sparing of the umpires.

The Mayo champions started positively and powered forward looking for scores, but the Sligo men soon got their defensive system in place and frustrated the guests at every turn. Ballina failed to find any space or time in the opposition half and the Sligo men looked the more impressive side at times.

Evan Regan and Luke Doherty hit two early points for the Stephenites and all seemed good with the world at that stage for Niall Heffernan's side but they only added another point from Frank Irwin for the rest of the half as Coolera Strandhill impressed.

The second half was much better. There weren't a huge stream of scores but the excitement levels grew with every passing moment as the final whistle drew ever closer. In truth, the Sligo men were the better team in the second half and had the chances to win it, but Ballina stayed in the fight with Dylan Thornton's fisted effort near the end securing a draw.

However, both sides had chances to win it. Ciaran Treacy had a goal effort taken off the line at one end while midfielder Peter Laffey dragged a shot wide after a ball ran loose in the Ballina square and right at the death, Mark McDaniel had the chance to write his name in history but he rushed his shot and it drifted wide as the final whistle sounded.

Things looked much better for the Mayo men in extra time when Coolera Strandhill's best player Niall Murphy was somewhat harshly sin-binned and points from Evan Regan and Treacy had the guests two clear as time ticked away.

However, with Ballina reduced to 14 players after Luke Jordan's equally harsh black-card they couldn't pull away and when Murphy returned to the action in the dying moments he was given the opportunity to level the scores from two late frees and he simply did so.