Missed chances cost Ballinamore CS dearly in Connacht Final

It may seem like clutching at straws given the final scoreline but it is hard not to wonder what might have been for Ballinamore Community School as they wasted some glorious goal chances against a superior Dunmore CS in the Mezzino Connacht PPS Senior C Final last Saturday in Strokestown.

That Dunmore were the superior team is not in question - their strength in the middle third saw them completely dominate this contest while the clever movement of their forwards exploited quick accurate long kicking to put Ballinamore's defence under enormous pressure.

Nobody in the Ballinamore camp disputed that the best team won yet had Ballinamore taken one or two of the four goal chances that came their way either side of halftime, this would have been a much tighter and more competitive game.

Check out our fans photos from Ballinamore CS's Connacht Final clash with Dunmore - GALLERY

Fans turned out in big numbers for Ballinamore Community School's Mezzino Connacht PPS Senior C Final against Dunmore Community School with the Galway school coming out on top thanks o a 4-12 to 1-7 victory in Strokestown. Observer photographer Willie Donnellan was there to capture some great images of both sets of fans .... see who you can spot!

Dunmore were well aware of Ballinamore's pedigree after the Leitrim school beat HRC Mountbellew but two goals before halftime gave them a cushion they never relinquished. It might have been different had Paul Honeyman found the net just before halftime when he escaped the clutches of the Dunmore defence but his shot had too much air and carried over the crossbar.

The Galway lads were much more clinical, Niall Heneghan scoring a crucial killer goal just before halftime before keeper Cormac Heneghan came to the fore in the second half. In the first ten minutes of the second half, the Michael Glavey's netminder blocked a Ruairi O'Rourke shot at close range, saved a Honeyman penalty and then dived full length to stop a low piledriver from Tom Plunkett.

Dunmore CS keeper Cormac Heneghan dives to save the shot of Ballinamore's Tom Plunkett (wearing 6) Picture: Willie Donnellan

For good measure, the Dunmore keeper later saved from close range from Honeyman, leaving the Ballinamore lads wondering what might have been if they were more clinical.

Dunmore gave notice of early intent with a brace of points from Mark Connolly and Padraig Martyn, the second after a Ballinamore clearance was intercepted. Paul Honeyman gathered a low ball into the corner on five minutes, turned nicely to fire over a good point.

Ballinamore got a warning of Dunmore’s goal threat when Robert Heneghan dragged an effort across the face of the goal but it was still tit for tat, Colm Costello finishing off a good move with a point and Paul Honeyman scoring a fine point from a mark on ten minutes.

The cagey opening was reflected in a dearth of scores with Dunmore going two clear after 15 minutes thanks to a Costello free but another interception from a Ballinamore move saw a long ball played to Martyn who claimed a mark before scoring. Costello would add a pointed free as the gap was now at four points.

From the resulting kickout, Dunmore turned over Ballinamore possession. A quick long delivery found Costello one and one and despite letting the ball fall from his grasp, the Dunmore full-forward still had enough savvy to strike the ball on the ground into the left corner of the net.

The goal proved doubly costly as keeper Blessed Ncube suffered a shoulder injury that eventually resulted in his substitution at halftime but Ballinamore reacted well with Honeyman converting a free for an off-the-ball foul.

If Ballinamore have regrets, Paul Honeyman’s fourth point in added time will surely be one - a quick free saw the Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins clubman brilliantly turn the full-back to bear down on goal but unfortunately, Honeyman lifted his shot too high over the bar.

At the time, it didn’t seem too costly, rather an indication of how Ballinamore might get back into the game but in Dunmore’s next attack, they demonstrated the clear difference between the teams when Niall Heneghan allowed a long ball to break across in front of him before cracking an unstoppable shot to the far corner of the Ballinamore net.

Ballinamore's Colm McLoughlin clears the ball under pressure from Dunmore's Robert Heneghan Picture: Willie Donnellan

That left Ballinamore with a mountain to climb in the second half against an increasingly dominant Dunmore, trailing 2-6 to 0-4 at the break but the Leitrim school made a determined effort to get back into the game, sub Ruairi O’Rourke drawing an excellent close range block from keeper Cormac Heneghan right after the break.

With Cathal McCarthy now in goal for Ncube and O’Rourke upfront, a Honeyman free got Ballinamore off to a great start and it looked as if lady luck was shining on them when referee Dermot Lyons correctly spotted an off-the-ball foul on Honeyman in the Dunmore square and awarded a penalty.

Unfortunately for Honeyman and Ballinamore, the superb Heneghan made an easy save from the spot kick and you could sense the air being let out of the Ballinamore balloon and Dunmore growing in confidence as they immediately added a point from Martyn when a goal looked on.

Costello curled in a great free for Dunmore and the Galway school completely killed off the game with two goals in two minutes. First Robert Heneghan did well to break a few tackles before passing to Martyn to fist the ball to the net from close range.

Another good move two minutes later cut open the Ballinamore defence and with Dunmore players seemingly queuing up to finish, Robert Heneghan forced the ball to the net despite the ball cannoning off a Ballinamore defender attempting to block the ball.

Credit Ballinamore for not lying down but again Cormac Heneghan was to be their nemesis, denying a long range piledriver from Tom Plunkett on ten minutes while eight minutes later, after points were swapped by Shane Donohoe for Ballinamore and Costello for Dunmore, the Michael Glavey’s clubman denied Paul Honeyman from close range.

Honeyman did add a free on 52 minutes but Dunmore were not letting go at this stage and despite a good few wides, they added points from Jack Jordan, Costello and Mark Connolly to finish off their scoring for the afternoon.

Ballinamore did get an injury time consolation goal when Honeyman took a quick free, got the return pass and blasted to the net but it made little difference as the final whistle  sounded.

Leitrim's road warriors as mens & ladies football teams bid to maintain county's 100% start to National Leagues

BALLINAMORE CS

Scorers: Paul Honeyman 1-6, 3f, 1M; Shane Donohoe 0-1

Team: Blessed Ncube (Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins), Tommy Smyth (Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins), Killian Maguire (Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins), Michael McBrien (Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins), Colm McLoughlin (Fenagh St Caillins), Tom Plunkett (Aughawillan), Dessie Wisley (Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins), Dara Greenan (Fenagh St Caillins), Danny Maguire (Templeport), Ezra McGovern (Swanlinbar), Shane Donohoe (Gowna), Adam Reynolds (Fenagh St Caillins), Cathal McCarthy (Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins), Paul Honeyman (Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins), Naoise McManus (Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins). Subs: Ruairi O’Rourke (Fenagh St Caillins) for Ncube (HT); Ryan McCarron (Templeport) & Kian McGovern (Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins) for McGovern & Reynolds (41), Shane Gallagher (Aughnasheelin) for Wisley (49)

DUNMORE CS

Scorers: Colm Costello 1-6, 3f; Padraig Martyn 1-3, 1M; Niall & Robert Heneghan 1-0 each; Mark Connolly 0-3; Jack Jordan 0-1

Team: Cormac Heneghan, Oisin Cloonan, Dylan Connolly, Odhran Reddington, Luke Murray, Shane Mitchell, Michael Gerard David, Niall Heneghan, Ruairi Walkin, Mark Connolly, Robert Heneghan, Jack Jordan, Eanna O’Connor, Colm Costello, Padraig Martyn. Subs: Jonathan Meehan for Reddington (19); Finian Cronin & Matthew Connolly for R Heneghan & Davis (44); Daithi Reddington for M Connolly (49); Barry Murray for O’Connor (58)

Referee: Dermot Lyons (Roscommon)