Ballinasloe 3-14

An Spidéal 3-10

By Pádraic Ó Ciardha in Gort

Ballinasloe are Junior 1 champions for a second year running after finally seeing off An Spidéal at the end of two enthralling contests that went to the wire.

It was a Jack Dillon goal with the last puck of the game that saved Ballinasloe the first day out, and it was another goal deep into stoppage time from the big full-forward that sealed his side’s win over the Gaeltacht men in Saturday’s replay.

Cathal O’Hanlon had just put Ballinasloe a point ahead three minutes into injury-time when Dillon struck his second goal of the game to leave his side four points ahead. There was still time for more drama when An Spidéal’s Diarmuid Ó Duinn was felled in the opposite square, but Cormac Casey – who was moved from corner-forward to between the sticks after starting goalkeeper Shane Reynolds was forced off – was equal to Liam Ó Conghaile’s effort, and Ballinasloe held on to the final whistle for an epic victory.

An Spidéal will feel they should have finished the job the first day out, leading as they did by seven points at half-time even before Dillon struck for his last-ditch equaliser, and they’ll have regrets from this one as well.

When Cian Ó Conghaile grabbed his second goal of the game a minute into the second half at the weekend, he put the Cois Fharraige side seven points to the good once again, 3-6 to 1-5. Ballinasloe refused to lay down, however, and were back in the contest in a flash, reeling off 1-4 in the space of three-and-a-bit minutes to draw level.

Quickfire points from Cian Connolly and O’Hanlon settled them into the second-half before Jack Dillon picked out Evan Hayes with a cross-field pass, and he made no mistake with a low finish.

An Spidéal could barely keep it pucked out to Ballinasloe at this point, who were coming out on top in every battle, and further points from Adam Potter and Jason Cunnigham, the latter surging through the middle before striking over, left the sides level once again, 2-9 to 3-6.

Ballinasloe then took the lead as O’Hanlon won and converted a free as the game ticked into the fourth quarter; but An Spidéal were finally able to hit back when Liam Ó Conghaile converted a placed ball after Finnian Ó Laoi was fouled.

Ó Laoi was then involved in the move which saw his brother, Cillian, put An Spidéal back in front with his second point of the day, but Ballinasloe always seemed to have an answer.

Pictured: The Ballinasloe squad and management which defeated An Spidéal in the Junior 1 final replay in Gort. Back row, from left: Craig Keighery, Pat Carrig, Alan Murphy, Jeff Casey, Jodi Frehill, Ashling Branley, Rob Nolan (joint manager), Cormac Casey, Danny Dolan, Jack Dillon, Conor Coleman, Shane Reynolds, John Coughlan, Jack Mitchell, Adam Potter, Eoin Coleman (joint captain), Craig Potter, Liam Donnagh, Cian Connolly, Aodan Ward, Christopher Rooney, and Derek Frehill (joint manager). Front row: Ronan O’Grady, Anthony Smyth, Conor O’Grady, Danny Byrne, Aodan Connaughton, Alan Caulfield, Jason Cunningham, Alan Reynolds, Cian Fahy, Evan Hayes, Finton Donnellan, Cathal O’Hanlon (joint captain), Michelin Fogarty, and Niall Jennings. Photos: Joe Keane.