Boland’s crucial double helps Tooreen back to Mayo summit

TOOREEN 2-10 BALLYHAUNIS 0-6

MAYO SHC FINAL

TOOREEN returned to the top of Mayo hurling having lived for four years in the shadow of Ballyhaunis who came up well short in their bid for a four-in-a-row at the Adrian Freeman Memorial Park, Tooreen, on Saturday.

It was a fitting tribute to the late Adrian Freeman who tragically died in a car accident in Australia in 2010 that his club, who now hold a record 28 titles, should return to the top.

The game, played in dreadful conditions of wind and rain, swung on two second-half goals in the space of three minutes, both coming from the hurl of Mayo dual star Fergal Boland.

Boland’s first from long range was dropped over the line by Ballyhaunis goalkeeper Donal O’Brien and minutes later the visitors’ custodian was caught out by another effort from distance from Boland which ended up in the net.

Tooreen led by 0-5 to 0-4 at half-time, Shane Boland on target with some fine scores for the home side, but it was two late frees from Brian Hunt which kept Ballyhaunis in touch.

SCORERS – Tooreen: F Boland 2-2, S Boland 0-5 (5f), C Freeman, K Feeney (f) and S Kenny 0-1 each. Ballyhaunis: B Hunt 0-4 (4f), K Higgins 0-2.

TOOREEN – S Lenehan; D Huane, M Morley, A Henry; C Henry, C Freeman, D Kenny; S Coyne, F Boland; K Feeney, S Regan, S Boland; B Morley, B Douglas, S Kenny. Subs:

C Charlton for B Douglas (46), S Morley for S Kenny (57), C English for C Charlton (58)

BALLYHAUNIS – D O’Brien; A Brennan, M Phillips, A Lyons; K Kiely, L Cribbin, F Lyons; E Collins, K McDermott; A Phillips, K Higgins, B Hunt; P Kelly, S Hoban, J Lyons. Subs: S Griffin for K Kiely (46, inj), J Coyne for P Kiely (51), C Gardiner for A Brennan (53).

REF – M Collins (Lacken)