Prior & Moran lead Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins to redemption as they strike late to beat St Mary's

Redemption or revenge, whatever you care to call it, Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins achieved it in style on Saturday evening as they came from two points down with ten minutes to go to seal a deserved, if narrow, Connacht Gold Leitrim SFC Semi-Final victory over St Mary’s Kiltoghert.

Saturday’s semi-final in a heaving Pairc Sheain Ui Eslin was a repeat of this year’s League final but unlike that day in Mohill, Ballinamore matched St Mary’s patient possession game and delivered a performance full of heart and intelligence, inspired by Tom Prior and Shane Moran.

In the absence of Dean McGovern, Moran was the glue that held his team together in the middle of the park, his physical power causing St Mary’s no end of problems and his aerial prowess and ability to cover the ground giving Ballinamore an enormous advantage in a cagey affair.

Upfront, Tom Prior literally was the difference - away in the states for the League final, Prior was a livewire that the St Mary’s defence never got to grips with. He finished with six points, created another and won a free for another in an immense display for the centre-forward.

No more than the League final, this was a dour encounter - certainly it was exciting because of the close nature of the game but the litany of misses from both sides and the defensive set-up employed by both teams meant that the contest bubbled under for long periods rather than breaking out into all out excitement.

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Ballinamore actually edged the wide and missed chances count, 11 to 9, and had they lost it, they’d had been kicking themselves with St Mary’s keeper Killian Gaffey claiming shot from over his crossbar on three occasions.

In a game as tight and tense as this, a goal would normally prove decisive and when St Mary’s Brian Keaney plundered the game’s only three pointer seven minutes into the second half, you’d have expected last year’s finalists to push on.

But it was Ballinamore who seemed to draw most inspiration from the score - they drove on with renewed ferocity, started to win all the small little battles, force St Mary’s into turnovers and started to push forward, drawing level midway through the half.

The Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins team who defeated St Mary's Kiltoghert on Saturday Picture: Willie Donnellan

Credit St Mary’s - they reacted with two points to seemingly re-establish themselves as top dogs but again, it was Ballinamore who produced the big moments in vital situations like Liam Ferugson’s timely interceptions on more than one occasion.

No more than the first game, this contest truly could have gone either way but Ballinamore stood tallest when the pressure was on, Shane Moran, Ferguson and Tom Prior coming up with big, big moments to secure a ‘home’ final appearance for Sean O’Heslins against Mohill on Sunday October 6.

With both teams playing cautiously in the first half, it seemed to be a case of ‘we can do what you can do’ as both scored within seconds of each other and both sides hit bad wides as defences dropped exceedingly deep and defended in huge numbers to prevent the others from getting going.

Paul Keaney opened the scoring with a booming point from almost 50 yards after two minutes but almost instantly, the livewire Tom Prior claimed a mark which he converted. St Mary’s were dominating possession but three wides followed before Prior finished off a good run by fisting the ball over the bar.

Almost immediately, St Mary’s won a free for a foul on Oisin Bohan, converted by Keaney but Ballinamore broke from the kickout, Liam Ferguson in space finding Paul Honeyman who opted to fist the ball over the bar with the hint of a goal opening up in front of him.

Barely had the cheers died down and St Mary’s were level, breaking quickly for Ben Guckian to loft the ball over the bar, level at three apiece in under 12 minutes. Unfortunately for fans, the next 15 minutes was a litany of wides from both teams although credit St Mary’s keeper Killian Gaffey for plucking the ball three times from the air as it was headed over the bar.

Paul Keaney was unlucky with a shot that grazed the post and went wide as Honeyman notched his second with the fist, a long ball to Shane Moran doing the damage but once again, Keaney replied with his third of the half to leave the scores level at 0-4 apiece at the break.

With little to enthuse fans in the first half, we hoped for better in the second half as Conor Farrell hit a nice point inside the first minute to edge Mary’s back in front. Two minutes later, after a Paul Moran wide, Tom Prior hit a lovely point as the pattern of missed chances again began to be repeated.

The St Mary's Kiltoghert team who were defeated by Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins Picture: Willie Donnellan

The breakthrough came seven minutes into the half - Tom Prior seemed ready to claim a mark but lost the ball. It was transferred to Ben Guckian who played a spectacular side of the foot 50 yard pass to sub Brian Keaney in behind the defence. He had a lot to do but did it well, evading his mark to bury the ball in the net.

St Mary’s were moving now but Darren Maxwell came up with a crucial interception as they threatened goal on nine minutes and after sub Keelan McHugh, a matter of seconds on the field, charged down the centre, Tom Prior fired over on ten minutes.

Paul Honeyman converted a free after a Mark Diffley foul on Prior for which he was booked but Keaney edged Mary’s back in front on 13 minutes. Prior was instrumental again in setting up Shane Moran for a point on 15 minutes and a minute later, Prior forced a turnover, played a one-two and tied the scores.

St Mary’s hit back, Kyle McCrann coming up from defence to fire over a fine point under pressure before a lovely burst from the corner from Ben Guckian saw him point to put the League champions two clear with less than two minutes to go.

It was, however, St Mary’s last score of the game - Paul Honeyman converted a free after a foul on Shane Moran, a little soft perhaps, before James McGrail dropped an effort short. With less than four minutes left to play, Wayne McKeon got on the end of a crossfield pass to tie the scores.

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McKeon then shot badly wides from distance but with four minutes of added time, there was plenty of time to find a winner but Ballinamore were looking the more likely, the more energetic and that was what came to past, Tom Prior setting the seal on a wonderful display as he burst through to score over a minute into added time.

There was plenty of time for Mary’s to engineer another chance but with Liam Ferguson coming up with a big interception and the Carrick men waning in their efforts, Ballinamore held onto the ball to book their place in the County Final for the first time since 2022.

BALLINAMORE SEAN O’HESLINS

Scorers: Tom Prior 0-6, 1M; Paul Honeyman 0-4, 2f; Wayne McKeon & Shane Moran 0-1 each

Team: Darren Maxwell, Matthew Murphy, Brian Banks, Paddy Connaughton, Wayne McKeon, Liam Ferguson, Michael McBrien, Shane Moran, Michael McKiernan, Naoise McManus, Tom Prior, Cathal McHugh, Peter Reynolds, Paul Honeyman, Paul Moran. Subs: Keelan McHugh for P Reynolds (39); Shane Murphy for McManus (52); Killian Maguire for M Murphy (56); Dessie Wisely for McKiernan (57)

ST MARY’S KILTOGHERT

Scorers: Paul Keaney 0-4, 2f; Brian Keaney 1-0; Ben Guckian 0-2; Conor Farrell & Kyle McCrann 0-1 each

Team: Killian Gaffey, Mark Lenehan, Mark Diffley, Nicholas McWeeney, Adam Reynolds, Conor Farrell, Kyle McCrann, James McGrail, Paul Keaney, Diarmuid Kelleher, Conor Hackett, Ben Guckian, Cillian Hanratty, Oisin Bohan, Ashley Mayiza. Subs: Brian Keaney for Mayiza (HT); Cian Singleton for Hackett (44); Jack Barnes for Hanratty (48); Brian McKenna for Bohan (50)

Referee: Gareth Foley