Mayo champions are kings of Connacht after thrilling late comeback
Ballintubber come from four points down late on to beat Galway champions in epic Connacht final
CONNACHT U-17A FOOTBALL FINAL
Ballintubber 2-18
Mícheál Breathnach (Galway) 2-14
In Connacht Centre of Excellence
BALLINTUBBER turned a four-point deficit after 55 minutes into a four-point lead when it mattered most at the end of a thrilling decider in Bekan last night, crowning a sensational display of football against a hugely impressive Mícheál Breathnach side.
Michael Hoban’s Ballintubber boys enjoyed plenty of possession throughout the contest but five first half wides prevented them from taking an early lead, and they paid the price for that when the Connemara side hammered in 1-3 in the five minutes before half-time, including a Learaí Ó Gradaigh goal.
A point from Stiofán Ó Neachtain extended the lead to five points immediately after half-time but Ballintubber produced a superb spell of football in response, kicking off their surge with a scrambled goal from Cillian Donnelly.
Conor Hoban chipped in with some good points, Adam Burton and Finnian Brady started to dominate the middle even more than before, and it was Rory McGreal who kicked Ballintubber into a one-point lead ten minutes into the half.
Again there was a strong reply from Mícheál Breathnach in a game that was heating up nicely in the cool and damp October air, and when Jamie Ó Diollúin set up Stiofán Ó Neachtain for a second goal for the Galway champions, there was five points between the teams.
Hoban broke the back of the deficit with a point after a tap-and-go free and then a dead ball strike from outside the arc, but it was Cillian Reilly who delivered the monster kick from 45 metres to equalise, with Brady striking off his right on the run to nudge Ballintubber into the lead in the first of four minutes of added time.
That left Mícheál Breathnach chasing the game and when they pushed up on a sideline kick to try and force a turnover, a long ball into McGreal allowed the half-forward to float a kick across the goalmouth, setting up Christopher Feeney to palm in a clinching goal.
A full report and reaction will be carried in Tuesday’s Mayo News.