New Mayo champions Westport rewarded for a display rooted in graft and honesty

BY MARTIN CARNEY, GAA COLUMNIST

ON a weekend when the weather gods looked for a time like spoiling the party for all concerned, the county finals nonetheless went ahead and four new county champions emerged.

Such was the rainfall on Friday and Saturday morning in the vicinity of Hastings Insurance MacHale Park that I thought there was a real prospect of the games being transferred elsewhere.

Mercifully, the forecasted deluge didn’t happen and this, along with the great work of groundsman Philip Heneghan, ensured that the pitch was deemed suitable to host each of the four deciders.

In the opening game of the weekend, Achill, to their credit, made little of the Moygownagh challenge in the junior B decider. Fitter, more composed and possessing that bit extra up front, they deservedly took the honours.

In a keenly anticipated intermediate final, Kilmeena, reigning All-Ireland junior football champions, were expected to make life difficult for favourites Ballyhaunis.

The west Mayo men, with momentum, a great support base and passion fuelling their challenge, had their chances and had two goal attempts in the second half been converted, the narrative may have been different.

Yet Ballyhaunis, with greater composure, game management and an inspirational triumvirate of Jack Coyne, Keith Higgins and Eoghan Collins, held their nerve and were fully deserving of their three points win at the finish.

A great all-round team effort got the reward it deserved and sets up an exciting home Connacht championship tie with the winners of the Sligo/Galway fixture.

To say that Islandeady impressed in winning the junior decider is an understatement.

From the off they looked fitter, physically superior and much more threatening than their opponents, Cill Chomáin.

From the imposing Bryan O’Flaherty in goal to a full-forward line capably led by Darragh Joyce, they rarely looked in trouble.

Aside from a few fleeting moments in the opening half when Cill Chomáin found the net, Islandeady ruled. Indeed, once Seamie Lally struck an early second-half goal, the result never appeared in doubt and the Peter Collins-led team deservedly cruised to victory.

CROWNING

The crowning tie of the weekend’s extravaganza was of course the senior final between Westport and Ballina Stephenites.

Before reflecting on aspects of the game, it would be remiss not to pay tribute to Westport on winning their first ever senior title. This was a wonderful achievement and never-to-be-forgotten moment in the club’s history.

Words don’t convey the extent of the psychological barrier that had to be overcome. Seeing the team play with the sense of togetherness, confidence and self-belief apparent must have brought joy to the hearts of all who worked for years in nurturing the talent from Bord na nÓg upwards.

This was a battling and proud display, and one that merited the club winning the Moclair Cup for the first time in their history.

Make no mistake – there was nothing lucky about this win. Though the game as a spectacle never managed to break free from the defensive order both teams imposed, Westport were nonetheless better organised, way more committed to the cause and worked their socks off in pursuit of victory.

The aggressive intent instilled by their manager Martin Connolly was evident from the off. Indeed, the manner in which Fionn McDonagh won the throw-in gave us a glimpse of what was to come.

Vaulting over his immediate opponent, Sam Callinan, he sent a signal to all watching that this was a day that Westport were determined to make their own.

At the back, Rory Brickenden, Brian McDermott and Liam Shevlin formed a formidable defensive line that Ballina found hard to breach. Further afield, forwards tackled back and in doing so denied Ballina the space they craved.

Lee Keegan played his part around the middle without ever being the dominant figure we have come to expect. And though, just as in their previous games, they didn’t post big totals, the forward trio of Kevin Keane, Mark Moran and Killian Kilkely were aggressive ball winners and notched scores at the vital moments.

Backed by the breeze and keen to get Evan Regan and Conor McStay on the ball, Ballina struggled to establish a foothold in the middle and get a consistent supply to the pair.

Try hard as he did, Padraig O'Hora lacked the support necessary and inspire others around him.

A forward line that had accumulatively scored 14 goals in the championship rarely got sight of their opponent’s nets on the day. This was due to Brickenden winning most of his individual battles with Regan and McDermott limiting McStay’s involvement.

Of Ballina’s five first-half points, four came from play – with one of these from distance by Regan being my score of the championship. Overall, during the half, Westport looked sharper on the breaks in particular, admirably disciplined in their tackling and their four-point total was equally shared between Kilkelly and Keane.

Kevin Keane in general has had a fine championship but on this occasion Killian Kilkelly played like a man on a mission. In and out of the team all year, he used the final to remind everyone of his talent.

Industrious and showing admirable nerve, he occupied the attention of Padraig O’Hora throughout and when the opportunity presented itself, he dispatched his penalty with admirable precision.

This came at the time when the game was crying out for a score. By the 12th minute of the second half a single point is all that was added to the half-time scoreline when Westport were awarded their penalty. Kilkelly’s finish was impressive, the score game-defining, and from there to the finish the west Mayo lads did enough to see history created.

Ballina will realise that they struggled in too many positions to seriously test Westport and though O’Hora scrambled a goal, the fact that they only registered two second-half scores is an indictment of their display.

Some of Rory Tighe’s defensive work, Niall Feeney’s graft and Ciaran Boland’s willingness to get forward weren’t enough for a team who never played or indeed were ever allowed play with the abandon we had come to expect.

It was Westport’s day, one earned on the back of a display rooted in graft and honesty.