Mayo manager Andy Moran comes on as sub to help secure Ballaghaderreen's senior status
It took some effort for Ballaghaderreen to break Balla’s momentum and come back from a five-point deficit with only a few minutes left to play in the Mayo GAA senior football championship relegation final. Mayo manager Andy Moran came on and had a massive impact in the final quarter, scoring 0-2 and assisting the game deciding goal by Conor Moriarty.
MAYO SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP RELEGATION FINAL
Ballahaderreen 1-13
Balla 0-14
In Ballyhaunis
IT was Conor Moriarty’s fantastic finish that sealed senior status for Ballaghaderreen. It was four minutes into injury time, as the East Mayo men found themselves still a point adrift, when substitute and Mayo manager, Andy Moran caught a kick-pass and was fouled. Referee James Regan blew the whistle for a free and instead of choosing the safe option and levelling the scores to force extra-time, Moran kicked the O’Neills to Moriarty, who kept calm in front of Balla goalkeeper David Dolan, went around him and hammered it home for a two-point lead.
Moments later, the game was over and the Ballaghaderreen players, the management, family and friends celebrated on the pitch. They looked dead and buried late in the second half.
When Balla goalkeeper David Dolan, his team’s top scorer in the championship, sent home a two-point free with eight minutes left, Balla had a five-point lead and all the momentum on their side.
Nobody expected a fireworks of scores in this encounter. Both teams have the worst offensive record in the senior championship. Balla only scored 12.25 points per game, while Ballaghaderreen only record 14.5 points per game.
Especially Balla had found it hard to score goals, only raising a green flag twice in the four previous matches, and again on this occasion, they never threatened Ballaghaderreen’s goal.
After a cagey first half affair, which saw Ballaghaderreen leading by 0-7 to 0-6, the game reached boiling point in the second half, when both teams left everything out there to avoid the dared drop.
Somehow, Ballaghaderreen found the switch. Mayo’s All-Ireland winning manager Andy Moran proved instrumental. When he came on, he scored two crucial points, and directed his team’s attacks. He showed great bravery in going for the goal in injury time when many would have picked the safe option. Ballaghaderreen got the biggest reward they could wish for.
After a year hampered by injuries, where nothing seemed to be falling for them, they pulled off a remarkable escape. Ballaghaderreen showed true grit in the final minutes to claw their way back into the game.
Balla will need time to recover from this. It was a heart breaking way to get relegated. Their six-year-stint in Mayo’s top flight was brought to a cruel end, when Moriarty’s shot rattled Balla’s net.
A full match report will be carried in Tuesday’s Mayo News.