Easkey reach junior final.
EASKEY BALLA
MAYO’S recent monopoly on the Connacht Junior Football Championship came to an end at Quigabar on Saturday last, where an authoritative Easkey dumped Balla out at the semi-final stage.
The Sligo junior champions have a provincial final against Galway’s Clonbur to look forward to this Saturday after three first half goals, a brace from Kevin Duffy and one from Ryan McKenna did the telling damage.
The last three Connacht junior champions have come from the Yew County, but Dessie Sloyan’s Sea Blues had different ideas for 2018.
They set the pace early on, finding the net through McKenna from the penalty spot, after Duffy was dragged to the ground by Matthew Flanagan close to goal.
An out-of-sorts Balla registered ten wides throughout the hour, six of these coming in a frustrating opening half for the Mayo men.
Easkey were in control for all but the full first 30 minutes. Val Roughneen sent over Balla’s first score on six minutes, but it was all the Sligo side until the break.
The Mayo men sat inside their own half for large parts, but Easkey patience paid off when Duffy had his second goal on 16 minutes.
Sloyan’s boys stayed in charge but only managed two more scores before Michael McGirl’s half-time whistle. Mikie Gordon (pictured) sending over a free before what was the game’s most crucial score.
Balla had pulled it back to a three point game at 2-1 to 0-4, but Duffy was on hand to extend Easkey’s advantage to six at the interval with his second goal in injury time.
A more even second half prevailed, although Easkey never looked like they were in trouble.
Skipper Eugene Mullen found the posts just after the re-start, while two impressive scores from the boots of McKenna and a Joe McHugh score saw Easkey’s advantage sit at eight points with 20 to go.
Easkey, who had Jonathan Conway black carded in the first half, then lost Joe McHugh to the same fate when he deliberately tripped Barry Duffy near the halfway line.
And while Roughneen was making the most of his frees, Balla’s mountain was just too steep to climb.
McKenna and Emmet Healy added to Easkey’s total and although by no means a dirty contest, referee McGirl went to his pocket twice late on when both Healy and McHale were shown
red. Easkey: Shane Kilgallon; Ian Barrett, Noel McGuire, Bernard Feeney; Eanna Moylan, Rory McHugh (Jonathan Conway 28, black card) (Hayden Gilroy 61), John Feeney (James Lindsay 52); Eugene Mullen (0-1), Mikie Gordon (01); Dylan Sloyan, Joe McHugh (0-1) (Declan Brennan 56, black card), Emmet Healy (0-1); Andrew Kilcullen, Ryan McKenna (13), Kevin Duffy (2-0). Sent off: Emmet Healy (60).
Balla: Matthew Flanagan; Ben Freyne (Eoin O’Neill 44), Steven McNicholas, Thomas Walsh; Ciaran Kilkenny, Gerard Flanagan, Thomas Reynolds (Gerard Holian 21); Shane Conway (Cillian Golding 38), Barry Duffy; Colm Murphy (0-2) (Jack Harte 57), Sean Morrisey (Patrick McLouglin 47), Val Roughneen (0-7); Aaron Walsh (Declan Sweeney 51), Conor Walsh, Gary McHale.
Sent off: Gary McHale (59). Referee: Michael McGirl (Leitrim).