Hurley strikes late as Claremorris overcome Ballina in competitive Mayo U-21 clash

U-21 A Championship Quarter-Final

Claremorris 0-18

Ballina Stephenites 1-14

In Claremorris

Claremorris booked their place in the U-21 A Championship semi-final after edging out Ballina Stephenites by a point in a dramatic finish at Alan Feeney Park on Sunday afternoon.

Niall Hurley led the way for the hosts with an outstanding 0-11 contribution, including a two- pointer from play, as Kevin Beirne’s side overcame a strong challenge from the Stephenites.

The sides were level at 0-8 apiece at half-time, with Conor Jordan impressing for Ballina with two excellent two-pointers, while Patrick Carr also kept the scoreboard ticking.

Claremorris began to take control after the restart, with Hurley and Aidan Brogan among those finding the target. However, Ballina stayed in touch through Carr, who added a two- pointer and another point.

Matthew Leonard brought the sides level with eleven minutes remaining before Hurley edged Claremorris back in front with two important scores. Carr looked to have earned Ballina extra time when he converted a long-range free beyond the 40-metre arc in injury time.

There was still time for one final score, however, as David Hurley stepped up to land the winner and send Claremorris through to the last four.

They will now host Crossmolina next Sunday in the semi-final. A further boost for Claremorris was the return of senior captain Rio Mortimer, who came on at half-time after missing the senior campaign with a hand injury.

A full match report will be carried in Tuesday’s edition of The Mayo News.