Ballyhaunis crowned champions after rip-roaring intermediate decider against Kilmeena

Ballyhaunis were crowned Egan Jewellers Mayo IFC champions following their deserved 0-13 to 0-10 victory over Kilmeena in today's final at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, writes Aiden Henry.

And what was a cracking game it was, despite the wintry conditions.

For the east Mayo side it was a very welcome victory after they had lost both the 2019 and 2021 deciders in the intermediate grade.

Overall few could argue with the final result as over the hour, Ballyhaunis were that bit better than their battling opponents, Kilmeena. With the county crown now secured, Ballyhaunis can concentrate on the Connacht club championship from here on out – and judging by their performance today, they will give it a good go.

For Kilmeena it was the end of a very long and successful year which started with them winning the All-Ireland junior championship title. While they came up short against Ballyhaunis in this intermediate decider, they will take a huge amount of positives from their championship campaign and no doubt will come back stronger and better in 2023.

In a game which the match referee let flow throughout – he received plenty of plaudits for his handling of this final – it was Ballyhaunis who started the better, despite playing into the stiff wind. Within 20 seconds of the throw-in James Lyons put them in front with a fine score from play, and just over two minutes later their goalkeeper, Adrian Phillips, doubled their advantage with a point from a 45'.

However, Ballyhaunis recorded three wides from good scoring chances in the next nine minutes and in fact didn’t add to their tally for the rest of the opening quarter. At the other end of the field, once Jack Carney opened Kilmeena’s account with a magnificent point from play in the fourth minute, they went on to add three unanswered points from Darragh Keaveney (two) and Joey Smyth, leaving them ahead by two at the end of the first quarter.

But by the 20th minute, Ballyhaunis had regained the lead after Adrian Phillips (free), Morgan Lyons (delightful effort from play) and Jack Coyne all raised white flags.

For the remainder of the half, however, they failed to add to their tally while two injury-time points for Kilmeena from Jack Carney and Keaveney sent the west Mayo side in leading by the minimum at the interval, 0-6 to 0-5.

As with the opening half, Ballyhaunis started the second much better than their opponents. Within three minutes of the resumption they had turned the one-point half-time deficit into a one-point lead.

However, after Keaveney brought Kilmeena back level on 38 minutes with a pointed free, Ballyhaunis were lucky not to concede at least one goal. Kilmeena’s Joey Smyth had the ball in the Ballyhaunis but was penalised for picking it off the ground, while moments later it was man of the match Jack Coyne who came to his side's rescue when he cleared a goal-bound shot from Jack Carney off the line.

As the game continued to ebb and flow, it was noticeable that Ballyhaunis were beginning to get a firm grip on the game and after Eoghan Collins put them back them back in front with one of the points of the game in the 42nd minute, they never looked back.

By the 54th minute they had added five more points (two brilliant efforts from Kevin Byrne, two from Jason Coyne and one from Morgan Lyons) to their tally while only one white flag was raised at the other end of the field.

In the three minutes of injury time, Kilmeena kept battling away and managed to score two late points. But by that stage the ship had sailed and the Sweeney Cup was on its way to Ballyhaunis.

Ballyhaunis: A. Phillips (0-2); C. Freely (0-1), Jack Coyne (0-1), D. Cunnane; J. Sutton, K. Higgins, E. Collins (0-1); K. Kiely, J. Cunnane; J. Lyons (0-1), J. Carney, K. Beirne (0-2); A. Sloyan, M. Lyons (0-3), Jason Coyne (0-2).

Subs used: E. Phillips, L. Herr, C. Carney, D. Murray, B. Hunt.

Kilmeena: P. Groden; J. Mulchrone, J. Keane, J. Ryan; C. Madden, S. Staunton, C. Kilcoyne; J. Carney (0-2), K. Ryder; L. Moore, R. O’Donnell, K. Joyce; D. Keaveney (0-6), S. Ryder, J. Smyth (0-2).

Subs used: J. McGlynn, P. Keane, C. Hastings, T. Gill.

Referee: K. Connelly (Hollymount/Carramore).