Bristow's dramatic late goal ensures Breaffy girls of Mayo title
By Patrick Hennelly
Breaffy National School just about edged this thriller at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, with Ayda Bristow’s dramatic late goal proving to be the decisive moment.
The final score in the Mayo Cumann na mBunscol Division One A Girls final was 3-5 to 1-9 in the Castlebar side's favour.
Ballinrobe were crestfallen, however, no doubt these footballers will learn from this defeat and come back a better and stronger team.
Breaffy had the wind at their backs during the first half and raced into a 2-2 to 0-1 lead after nine minutes, with the blue and white’s goals arriving from Lauren Lyons and the aforementioned Bristow, whilst Ballinrobe’s opening score was acquired by Katie Grimes.
Indeed, Breaffy could have been out of sight at the interval were it not for the marvellous saves by the Ballinrobe custodian Mia Killeen.
Killeen produced top-drawers saves during the first half to deny Breaffy’s Alannah Golden, Lucy Murphy, Aoife O’Connor, and Bristow, further three-pointers and kept her Ballinrobe team-mates in the game.
Trailing 2-3 to 0-3 at the interval, Ballinrobe made a whirlwind start to the second half and points from Enya McGarry (two frees) and Katie Grimes, helped bring their team-mates right back into contention.
Breaffy hadn’t scored for 16 minutes up until Lauren Lyons’ free on 29 minutes (20 minutes per-half), however, the Ballinrobe response was impressive.
A delightful cross-field delivery from the raiding McGarry found Grimes and the latter evaded her marker and bolted towards goal, before guiding a clinical finish to the back of the net.
The south Mayo side were playing with plenty of vim and vigour and two points by their hard working forward McGarry (one free), helped shunt the red and black into a slender 1-8 to 2-4 lead.
The game was really in the melting pot, however, on 36 minutes, the blue and white plundered 1-1.
Following Lyons levelling matters from the placed ball, her Breaffy team-mate Bristow pounced on a fortuitous break from a long ball and Bristow darted towards goal and rustled the back of the net.
The busy McGarry then landed her fifth and final free of the day for Ballinrobe to leave just two points between the sides, however, the Robesiders brave efforts proved in vain.