By Anthony Hennigan

BALLAGHADERREEN 4-12 BREAFFY 1-3

WHAT they have they’re keen to hold. County champions Ballaghaderreen commenced the defence of their Moclair Cup crown in mightily impressive fashion on Sunday evening, but their victory said much more about their opponents, Breaffy, than it did of them.

Breaffy were abysmal, and that’s not at the risk of offending the Club, for play-ers, management and supporters will know themselves that their side’s performance was not of the standard we have come to expect. A team that is reigning Division 1 league champions and that reached the 2008 county senior quarterfinals should not be 21 points in arrears by the 57th minute of their next championship outing, and reliant on an own-goal for their only score of the second half.

First half majors by the Barrys, Regan and Solan, helped Ballaghaderreen into a 10 points, 2-7 to 0-3, half-time advantage, and there was no recovering from that position for a Breaffy team that threw in the towel long, long before the final sounding of referee John Hughes’ whistle.

Any hope they had of adding some respectability to the scoreboard was lost when two of Ballagh’s opening three second half scores turned out to be goals, one for Andy Moran and a second for Barry Regan, and to add to their woe, Breaffy’s ex-Mayo attackers, Marty McNicholas and Alan Durcan, were both on the sideline by the 48th minute due to injury and tactics.

With Gavin Conway placing Regan to open the scoring in green flag style after just three minutes, the tone was set for the remainder of the first half. Through David Kilcullen, a ‘45’, Gavin Conway, Barry Solan, two, and Barry Regan, a free, Ballaghaderreen outscored Breaffy by five points to two during the next 15 minutes, with Alan Durcan, a ‘45’, and Finin Canavan kicking the

replies. Canavan, however, could also have goaled on 13 minutes but when first to a Rory Martyn point effort that bounced back off the post, he blasted at goalkeeper Ollie Flanagan.

Punishment for that failure to score was forthcoming in the form of a Barry Solan goal for Ballagh’. Andy Moran was the creator and when Breaffy’s Kevin Scahill bravely threw himself in front of Solan’s initial attempt, he could do nothing to prevent the corner-forward from smashing the rebound to the roof of Robert Hennelly’s net.

In fact, as a Regan free moved the East Mayo men 10 points ahead for the first time, in the six short minutes Breaffy midfielder Seamus O’Shea spent receiving treatment to a facial injury on the sideline, he watched his team’s position slip from 1-4 to 0-1 behind to 2-6 to 0-2.

Another Barry Regan free arrived, this time in response to Alan Durcan, from the placed ball, increasing Breaffy’s paltry tally to three points, but the result already looked signed, sealed and delivered as the teams retired for their half-time reflections.
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The lack of a competitive strain to the exchanges left the second half a forgettable affair, for supporters of both teams. Barry Solan was quick to fire over a free for the leaders but as Breaffy stopper Hennelly thwarted a goal-seeking Gavin Conway on 35 minutes, we had to wait until the 44th and 49th minutes for the game’s next scores, as sub Peter Kelly selfishly played the final passes for both Andy Moran and Barry Regan to score Ballaghaderreen’s third and fourth goals.

Mayo young gun, Aidan O’Shea, was moved to full-forward to bolster a flagging Breaffy attack now shown the services of Marty McNicholas and Alan Durcan, but Ballagh’ just kept on scoring, with substitute Dessie Keegan twice drilling over, Barry Regan adding his one point from play and wing-back Noel Tuohy even venturing forward to join in the flag-raising.

4-12 to 0-3 in arrears and dangerously close to being held scoreless for the entire half, Breaffy averted that statistic in the final minute, as Aidan O’Shea fetched Eddie Conroy’s long punt, rounded goalkeeper Ollie Flangan and kicked for goal off his right. The shot lacked power but in his efforts to clear, the retreating Stephen Drake only managed to kick the ball into his own net via the inside of the post.

It mattered zilch, as Paul McHugh’s charges commenced their campaign in ruthless good fashion. They know though, tougher challenges await, of that there can be no doubt.

SCORERS: - Ballaghaderreen: Barry Regan 2-4 (0-3f), Barry Solan 1-3 (0-1f), Andy Moran 1-0, Dessie Keegan 0-2, David Kilcullen (’45), Gavin Conway and Noel Tuohy 0-1 each.

Breaffy: Stephen Drake 1-0 (o/g), Alan Durcan 0-2 (1f, 1 ’45), Finin Canavan 0-1.

BALLAGHADERREEN:

Ollie Flanagan; Keith Rogers, Stephen Drake, Thomas Regan; Noel Tuohy, David Kilcullen, Gary Conway (c); Barry Kelly, Ronan McGrath; Gavin Conway, Andy Hanley, David Drake; Barry Solan, Barry Regan, Andy Moran.

Subs: Peter Kelly (for Gavin Conway 40), Michael Solan (for B Solan 48), Joe Dillon (for D Drake 48), Dessie Keegan (for Moran 51), Declan McGarry (for Hanley 55).

BREAFFY: Robert Hennelly; Kevin Scahill, Micheal Jennings, Barry Jordan; Karol Jennings, Colm Jordan, Eddie Conroy; Seamus O’Shea, Declan Jennings; Rory Martyn, Aidan O’Shea, Matthew Conroy; Marty McNicholas (c), Finin Canavan, Alan Durcan.

Subs: Peter Dravins (for Martyn 36), Ger Hughes (for McNicholas 43-inj), Ronan Conway (for Durcan 48), Colm Lyons (for D Jennings 55).

Referee: John Hughes (Kilmaine)

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