Brilliant Ballinamore demolish St Mary's in one-sided Connacht Gold SFC clash

For a game expected to be the tie of the weekend, it was hard to escape the feeling of massive anti-climax on Saturday in Pairc Naomh Mhuire as an energetic, fast moving and focused Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins thoroughly outclassed a disappointing St Mary's Kiltoghert to consign the home team to the Connacht Gold SFC relegation final.

This year's League champions knew that even a point, provided Aughawillan lost to Mohill, would be enough to see them into the quarter-finals but St Mary's never looked like coming remotely close to achieving that goal as they struggled to contain a fast moving and direct Ballinamore attack that had scores seemingly coming from almost every sector of the field.

Not even the most ardent St Mary's supporter would argue that O'Heslins weren't worth their double scores margin of victory with last year's County Finalists igniting their campaign and catapulting themselves back into the conversation over the destination of the Fenagh Cup, seemingly timing their peak to perfection as we reach the business end of the championship.

Ballinamore excelled at both ends of the field - Paul Honeyman and Tom Prior were always a threat but it was Michael McKiernan and Paul Moran who added extra oomph to their attack with long range scores while in defence, their discipline meant they were able to frustrate long periods of St Mary's possession football, their patience and tight marking leading to turnovers.

For St Mary's, it was an incredibly frustrating display and the worst possible time to produce their worst display of the year - maybe the pressure of the occasion got to them but when they look back on this one, they will acknowledge that they were second best in all the big battleground areas, particularly in midfield where Ballinamore built the platform of their dominance.

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS ST MARY'S HEADED FOR CONNACHT GOLD SFC RELEGATION FINAL AFTER BALLINAMORE HAMMERING

Paul Keaney opened the scoring with a free just 30 seconds into the contest but a long range Paul Moran effort tied the scores within two minutes. Brian Keaney hit a wide for the home side but a fine Luke Murphy point from the corner and a good Paul Honeyman score, set up by Shane Moran’s strong run, had Ballinamore two up after five minutes.

Killian Gaffey came upfield to thump a 50 yard two point free over the bar to level tube scores on seven minutes but Mary’s missed a chance to take the lead three minutes later when the Carrick side forced a turnover but Jack Casey shot wide, Paul Honeyman punishing that miss from a free two minutes later.

Honeyman missed a chance after a Ballinamore but another turnover saw the ball played quickly to Keelan McHugh on the left hand side of the St Mary’s post. His lobbed pass across the face of the St Mary’s goalmouth was met by a flying Honeyman, palming the ball brilliantly to the net for a crucial goal.

St Mary’s tried to hit back immediately but a poor Oisin Bohan shot landed in keeper Darren Maxwell’s arms. Ballinamore’s ability to break quickly saw Tom Prior score a lovely point from the corner on 16 minutes before a strong run saw Daire Farrell hit a fine reply for the home side.

Perhaps the turning point of the game came on 18 minutes - St Mary’s won a free out in the corner, dissent saw it moved in front of the goals with Paul Keaney going for a quick take, his shot brilliantly parried by Darren Maxwell as a goal threatened.

Ballinamore made the most of it, Luke Murphy converting a free before a long Wayne McKeon pass found Honeyman for another easy point. Ballinamore were beginning to put real daylight between the teams with Michael McKiernan pointing after Ballinamore won yet another kickout after a St Mary’s wide.

Ben Guckian hit a wide for a wasteful Mary’s before a score that had the potential for controversy in a closer game, Ballinamore clearly breaching the three-man defensive rule while in attack with three players rushing back from over the Mary’s 50 as Keelan McHugh finished a move with a fine point.

That left Ballinamore with a commanding and well deserved 1-9 to 0-4 halftime lead and everyone knew St Mary’s would need a strong start to the second half to get back into the contest but it was last year’s finalists who got it, starting with McKiernan and Honeyman both adding fine points inside the first two minutes.

Mary’s had two wides before Paul Moran thumped a two pointer over, with the help of the upright, and Paul Honeyman cut through for a well worked point, a goal maybe on if the game had been closer.

St Mary’s first score of the second half was a Paul Keaney two point free after nine minutes but Paul Moran matched it. Sub Diarmuid Kelleher cut through for a fine point a minute later while Ballinamore had two bad misses before Ballinamore forced a turnover and Honeyman scored an all-too-easy point.

That theme continued as Keelan McHugh pointed after a quickly taken Ballinamore free. Paul Keaney converted a free on 49 minutes but the sense was the game was already over, a feeling compounded when St Mary’s created a goal chance only to see Ben Guckian’s palmed effort come crashing off the crossbar before being cleared.

Honeyman added two frees to bring Ballinamore’s scoring to a close with more than seven minutes of play left and as the game meandered to a close, Ben Guckian hit a two pointer from distance and Diarmuid Kelleher another fine point as Ballinamore cruised home.

ST MARY’S KILTOGHERT

Scorers: Paul Keaney 0-4, 4f; Diarmuid Kelleher, Killian Gaffey (2f) & Ben Guckian (tp) 0-2 each; Daire Farrell 0-1

Team: Killian Gaffey, Mark Diffley, Conor Farrell, Mark Lenehan, Oisin Bohan, Adam Reynolds, Daire Farrell, Paul Keaney, Aaron Gardiner, Senan Bohan, Conor Hackett, Jack Casey, Brian Keaney, Ben Guckian, Nicholas McWeeney. Subs: Diarmuid Kelleher & James McGrail for Hackett & Gardiner (37); Cian Singleton for S Bohan (39); Cian Reynolds for O Bohan (49)

BALLINAMORE SEAN O’HESLINS

Scorers: Paul Honeyman 1-8, 3f; Paul Moran 0-4, tp; Keelan McHugh, Michael McKiernan & Luke Murphy (f) 0-2 each; Tom Prior 0-1

Team: Darren Maxwell, Conor Moran, Brian Banks, Matthew Murphy, Michael McBrien, Keelan McHugh, Cathal McHugh, Shane Moran, Wayne McKeon, Paul Moran, Michael McKiernan, Wayne McKeon, Tom Prior, Paul Honeyman, Luke Murphy. Subs: Paddy Connaughton for McBrien (49); Naoise McManus for L Murphy (51); Brian Leydon for K McHugh (59)

Referee: Eamonn Dolan