Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins learned a lot of lessons from league final loss to St Mary's - Henry

Enduring tough lessons are only beneficial if you actually learn from them so far to say that Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins certainly learned from their League Final defeat as they pipped St Mary’s Kiltoghert in a dramatic Connacht Gold SFC Semi-Final last Saturday in Pairc Sheain Ui Eslin.

At least that’s how coach Mark Henry said it, admitting that the league final defeat caused quite a bit of angst in the Ballinamore dressing room: “We would obviously be very disappointed with how we played in the league final. Credit to St Mary's that day, they just completely smothered us and they were very worthy winners.

“I would say we learned quite a few lessons that day that we were able to bring to bear today. You know, we were conscious that we couldn't afford to let St Mary's get too far ahead of us because they're absolutely brilliant at seeing a game out and we suffered that in the league final.”

Crucially, Henry’s team didn’t allow the Carrick men to build on Brian Keaney’s second half goal: “Thankfully, bar the goal, they didn't really create a gap and we responded brilliantly to the goal. We got the next two points, which meant that St Mary's couldn't play the game out the way that they did in the league final. 

“Delighted with the way the boys responded, delighted with the lessons they learned from the league final and obviously delighted to have come out on the end of a very, very tight game. I suppose that was the thing, the composure there under pressure at the end was huge.”

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In fact, Henry was the first to admit that the result could just as easily have gone the other way last Saturday: “It's a one-point win for us, but it could have easily been a one-point win for St Mary's. So, we'll take the wee bit of luck that we got today. There was massive pressure on both sides in that last 10 minutes.

“We lost a couple of players before the throw-in. We lost Luke Murphy, who'd been playing brilliantly for us as well, and of course, Senan Harte, who's had a stellar season at midfield. So, to absorb those blows and still come out at the end of the result today is very, very pleasing, I have to say.

“The game was nip and tuck throughout and both teams, I thought, had spells of brilliant football and both teams, I thought, defended brilliantly at times too. Look, we're delighted.”