Ballinamore SOH power packed finish kills off Leitrim Gaels in entertaining topsy-turvy clash

A power packed finish from Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins saw them turn a six point Leitrim Gaels lead into a three point victory at the end of a topsy-turvy Connacht Gold Leitrim SFC clash in Leitrim Gaels Community Field on Saturday.

After a game that swung wildly from one team to the other, Ballinamore's physical power and superb conditioning saw them eventually kill off the stubborn challenge of a Leitrim Gaels team who trailed by six points after ten minutes before leading by six ten minutes into the second half.

Crucially for the home side, they were unable to sustain the physical effort as Ballinamore profited enormously from handling errors in the final quarter, turning what looked like inevitable defeat into a victory that will do wonders for their morale after their disappointing underperformance against St Mary's Kiltoghert in the Masonite Division 1 Final just a week previously.

Gone was the caution and lethargy that blighted their League final performance as they went long and quick, booming huge deliveries down on Shane Moran and Dean McGovern and the former champions certainly profited to record a vital win in the first round of the championship.

Perhaps most crucial was the way they reversed the physical battle - Leitrim Gaels were forcing turnovers and with Conor Guckian, switching between midfield and full-forward, in imperious form under the high ball, they had all the momentum but Ballinamore upped their intensity, forcing mistakes while Shane Moran negated the influence of Guckian on kickouts in the final quarter.

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Ballinamore got off to a blistering start, Michael McKiernan pointing inside a minute before Paul Honeyman (free), Paul Moran (2) and Luke Murphy (two frees) all scored inside the first ten minutes as Leitrim Gaels seemed incapable of getting out of their own half.

Brian Goldrick opened the Gaels account on 11 minutes with a fine long range effort and Conor Guckian should have goaled a minute later but Darren Maxwell made a superb point blank save at the expense of a fifty converted by Stephen Goldrick.

However, the Gaels didn’t hae long to wait for a goal as Guckian did superbly well to field a ball heading out of play before feeding Liam Chandler on the burst. Chandler found Aaron Aldridge unmarked right in front of goal and he made no mistake from close range, Chandler quickly adding a free.

The Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins team who defeated Leitrim Gaels Picture: Willie Donnellan

That tied the scores but Ballinamore hit back in style, Dean McGovern palming home after a Paddy Connaughton pass on 17 minutes. Stephen Goldrick swapped two frees with Honeyman and Luke Murphy before Aidan Flynn gathered a kickout, burst on the run while playing a one-two before filing over.

Goldrick swapped frees with Murphy as Ballinamore led 1-9 to 1-7 at the break, a lead increased with a Honeyman point inside 15 seconds. From that kickout, Liam Chandler claimed a mark and quickly fed a charging Jack Flynn who broke the cover and passed to an unmarked Conor Guckian for a tap in.

Paddy Keane dropped a high ball in on Darren Maxwell and Guckian, the Ballinamore keeper getting the ball away but Guckian wouldn’t have to wait too long as, four minutes into the second half, he got a superb touch on Stephen Goldrick’s excellent long range delivery to divert the ball to the net.

The Gaels were rampant with Brian Goldrick pointing from play and Stephen Goldrick converting two frees as the home side led by six ten minutes into the second half. Crucially, they would only score once more in the final 20 minutes plus of action as Honeyman converted two frees and Luke Murphy and Michael McKiernan added one each from play over the next nine minutes.

The Leitrim Gaels team who were defeated by Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins Picture: Willie Donnellan

With two between the teams, Ballinamore roared into the lead when Shane Moran got a touch to a long ball into the Gaels goalmouth, the ball came off the woodwork and Moran almost karate chopped the ball to the net!

Liam Chandler tied the scores with a wonderful long range point a minute later but against a tiring Gaels, Ballinamore upped the intensity, turning over the ball with Honeyman setting up Dean McGovern for a fisted point.

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Wayne McKeon, booked earlier and a lucky man to escape a second booking for an earlier clash, boomed over a 55 yard free to take the gap to two and Paul Moran ensured victory with a well worked point in the final seconds as Ballinamore took the victory.

LEITRIM GAELS

Scorers: Stephen Goldrick 0-6, 5f, 1 50; Conor Guckian 2-0; Brian Goldrick & Liam Chandler (f) 0-2 each; Aidan Flynn 0-1

Team: Brian Cull, Ryan Goldrick, Stephen McDermott, Ben Finn, Eunan Treacy, Paddy Keane, Shaun Chandler, Aaron Aldridge, Aidan Flynn, Jack Flynn, Stephen Goldrick,  Liam Chandler, Frankie Cullen, Conor Guckian, Brian Goldrick. Subs: Conor McLoughlin for R Goldrick (56); Shane Rynn, Josh McNamee & Oisin Curley for Chandler, S Goldrick & Keane (58)

BALLINAMORE SEAN O’HESLINS

Scorers: Luke Murphy (3f) & Paul Honeyman (4f) 0-5 each; Dean McGovern 1-1; Paul Moran 0-3; Shane Moran 1-0; Michael McKiernan 0-2; Wayne McKeon 0-1, 1f

Team: Darren Maxwell, Matthew Murphy, Cathal McHugh, Paddy Connaughton, Wayne McKeon, Liam Ferguson, Michael McBrien, Conor Harte, Shane Moran, Paul Moran, Michael McKiernan, Brian Banks, Luke Murphy, Dean McGovern, Paul Honeyman. Subs: Shane Murphy for Banks (40); Peter Reynolds for Connaughton (52); Killian Maguire for L Murphy (59)

Referee: Enda Egan