Heroic effort by Mayo schoolboys comes up just short

The heroic lads of Balla Secondary School came up just short in their quest for national glory in the Masita All-Ireland PPS Senior C Football Championship final, losing to St. Ciaran's College, Ballygawley, on a scoreline of 2-18 to 1-19 in resplendent Fr. Tierney Park, Ballyshannon, writes Brian Gillespie.

The venue was bathed in mid-spring sunshine for the most part and following a slow start, it turned into a rip-roaring encounter.

Balla SS went behind for the first time on 58 minutes but found a way to restore parity and force extra time as the game finished on a 0-16 to 1-13 scoreline.

St. Ciaran's appeared to have taken full control in the first period of extra time when they scored 1-3 to no reply, but a goal early in the second period had Balla SS back in contention.

They kept plugging away and were in arrears by just two going into the final few minutes, but they couldn't get the clear chance they needed to equalise or possibly go ahead.

The game started slowly – very slowly – before it pulsed into a rhythm. There was only one point landed in the first quarter, scored in the third minute by Balla's Charlie Fallon. After that, the Mayo schoolboys soaked up a lot of pressure but St. Ciaran's never really penetrated, and their shooting was erratic too.

Balla looked dangerous on the break, though they too didn't always make the most of their scoring chances.

The first quarter concluded with a point from Patrick McHale, and the second started with a wonderful two-pointer from Mark Jennings.

Oran Murphy made it 0-5 to 0-0 soon after but his point could have been a goal. Having taken a superb pass from Liam Glynn, he broke past two St. Ciaran's defenders and had the goal at his mercy but blazed a shot high over Dara O'Neill's crossbar.

Charlie Fallon, a very lively presence up front for Balla, wormed his way along the end line to open up a goal-scoring opportunity but O'Neill made a good save.

Still, Balla were in dreamland when Glynn landed two two-point frees in succession to leave his school with a commanding nine-point lead (0-9 to 0-0) with just minutes left to go in the half.

Just when it looked as though St. Ciaran's were in big trouble, they put together a devastating move as Odhran Callaghan, Marcus McLaughlin and Conan Canavan combined to release Shea McDermott for a run on goal. McDermott raced ahead and blasted a shot past the Balla SS 'keeper, Donal Keane, for their first score. The same player added a point in the final minute of the half, and by the break it looked a lot healthier for the Tyrone schoolboys.

They continued to eat into the deficit in the second, largely through McDermott, who landed two two-point frees and one two-pointer from play, while Callum McWilliam was also successful with a two-point effort. Conan Canavan and Jude Curran were on target too during the half.

They went in front for the first time on 58 minutes thanks to one of McDermott's two-point frees, making it 1-12 to 0-14, and they went two ahead when Curran scored. However, a two-point Liam Glynn free from the ground levelled matters to send the game into extra time.

Balla were sporadic scorers in that second half but the efforts by Ryan O'Donnell, Glynn, Fallon and McHale proved crucial in ensuring parity at the full-time whistle, and they survived the final four minutes plus injury time wihout Sean McCann, who had been flashed a black card on 56 minutes for pulling down an opponent.

Balla SS didn't score at all in the first period of extra time while St. Ciaran's tacked on 1-3, the points scored by McDermott and Canavan (two) and the goal by Darren McAnespie. The midfielder palmed the ball in from close range after fine work by talisman McDermott, and that 2-16 to 0-16 lead at half-time advantage at half-time in extra time had been established playing into the wind.

Any fears that Balla were down and out were quelled just two minutes into the second period as Charlie Fallon scored the goal they needed to get back into the tie. Fallon took a quick solo and go free and shook off a tight-marking defender to smash home a low shot that took a deflection off Dara O'Neill's outstretched leg before hitting the net, reducing the deficit to three (1-16 to 2-16).

St. Ciaran's responded with points from Elliot Kerr and that man McDermott but Glynn landed a superb two-point free, and there were still three minutes plus injury time left to play.

The Tyrone schoolboys tried to play keep-ball to run down the clock but tired bodies and minds meant didn't help as they got turned over and Dara Patten landed a fine point for Balla SS.

There were now just two points in it (1-19 to 2-18) and Balla had a chance after forcing another turnover, but Kerr produced a piece of outstanding defending to thwart the attack and win back possesion, allowing his team to bring the ball back into the Balla half of the field.

The Mayo boys had one more possession but got caught in a St. Ciaran's trap trying to work the ball out of defence, and the subsequent full-time whistle brought joy for the Tyrone lads and heartbreak for their Mayo opponents.

It was an incredible effort by a Balla SS team that ultimately fell just short against a polished opponent.

Balla Secondary School: D. Keane; A. Jennings, S. Brohan, C. Brett; K. Malone, R. O'Donnell (0-1), S. McCann; D. Patten (0-1), M. Jennings (0-2tp); R. Judge, L. Glynn (0-9, 4tpf), P. McHale (0-2); C. Fallon (1-3), E. Duffy, O. Murphy (0-1).

Subs used: K. Corrigan, C. Patten, D. Broderick.

St. Ciaran's College, Ballygawley: D. O'Neill; O. McGeary, O. Callaghan, J. Boyle; E. Kerr (0-1), M. Mullin (0-1), C. McWilliam (0-2tp); D. McAnespie (1-0), M. Hughes; J. Curran (0-1), S. McDermott (1-10, 2tpf, 1tp, 1f), C. Shevlin; C. Quinn, C. Canavan (0-3), M. McLaughlin.

Subs used: J. Kelly, M. McDermott, S. Carty.

Referee: E. McFeely (Donegal).