Mayo club crowned Connacht under 17 (A) club champions

Ballintubber edged a pulsating encounter against Mícheál Breathnach to claim the Connacht Club Under-17 (A) Football Championship title, with the Abbeysiders running out 2-18 to 2-14 winners in the end.

The heavy mist at the Centre of Excellence in Bekan added an extra zip to the playing surface, with both sides producing moments of brilliance throughout the game.

Mícheál Breathnach made a lively start, and they scored the opening point of the night inside the first minute when Jamie O’Diollúin popped over a tidy free.

Ballintubber replied though points from Cillian Reilly and Conor Hoban, but the sides were level after eight minutes as Eoin O’Gionnáin forced the umpire to reach for the white flag.

The majority of the first half was nip and tuck, before Ballintubber eventually mustered a two-point cushion thanks to points from Hoban (free), and a long-range single from the industrious Reilly.

Trailing 0-5 to 0-3, Mícheál Breathnach regrouped once again and well-taken points from Oisín O’Neachtain, and O’Gionnáin restored parity.

The west Galway side were growing in stature, and they netted a green-flagged effort one minute into first half injury-time through Learaí O’Gradaigh, which left Ballintubber trailing 1-8 to 0-7 during the half-time musings.

However, the Ballintubber game plan received the perfect tonic two minutes into the second period, when Cillian Donnelly fired home a smashing close-range goal.

The Abbeysiders continued to move the ball around the pitch with great ingenuity and Rory McGreal’s point on 39 minutes shunted the west Mayo club into a 1-11 to 1-10 lead.

However, Mícheál Breathnach’s came storming back, and they proceeded to enjoy a fruitful period, with Stiofán O’Neachtain’s goal on 48 minutes mustering a 2-13 to 1-11 lead for the Indreabhán club.

The rollercoaster nature of the tie continued, and Ballintubber proceeded to land a flurry of points from Hoban (4, one two-pointer free), and Reilly (two-pointer), which left the sides level at 2-14 to 1-17 after 59 minutes.

Extra-time seemed a real possibility, but the Mayo side kept their composure, and their patient play was rewarded when Finnian Brady guided over a point.

Then, three minutes into second half injury-time, Ballintubber’s Christopher Feeney netted the match winning goal which helped secure a cherished provincial title for his team-mates.