Ballinasloe Town strike late to lift Connacht Junior Cup

Ballinasloe Town              2

Westport United              1

Mike Rafferty in Lecarrow

JUST like Martin Luthar King, Ballinasloe Town manager Enda Concannon had a dream and the night before the Connacht Junior Cup final he dreamt that his team won two one with the winner coming with the last kick of the game.

And what a man of vision he is – for with the contest deep in injury time, Liam Lynch steered an Alan Duffy cross beyond replacement goalkeeper Michael Gibbons to give the Town a dramatic winner in Lecarrow on Sunday.

It gave them just their second success in the competition following their 2004 triumph over Manulla and it was achieved in the most difficult manner possible.

After starting well and doing all the early pressing, they were caught with a sucker punch as Martin Geraghty steered a home a 7th minute header to give the Mayo visitors the lead in their first attack of the afternoon.

It took Ballinasloe some time to find their feet afterwards, but a penalty awarded for handball and scored by Daragh Concannon left matters tied at 1-1 and gave a fairer reflection on proceedings.

It wasn’t a contest where the respective goalkeepers were overworked as clear chances were few and far between, but a contentious moment arrived on 66 minutes when David Horkan flicked on a Joe Lawless free kick, but the linesman’s flag was quickly up to rule out Pat Fitzgerald’s stunning volley from just behind the cover. It was certainly a marginal call.

Then with the clock winding down with just two minutes remaining, accidental contact in the Westport area resulted in goalkeeper Gary Cunningham and Ballinasloe substitute Shane Duffy clashing.

After a protracted 13 minute delay, both players were replaced, with Cunningham suffering a finger injury and as a result of that hold up, the second-half was an hour long

It was during this spell that Ballinasloe produced the winner on 58 minutes. Daragh Concannon, who collected the Man of the match reward, started the move in central midfield before releasing Alan Duffy down the left.

After making a huge amount of ground and cutting in from the flank, he slid a low delivery across the face of goal and with perfect timing Lynch arrived to fire a low effort back across keeper Gibbons for a dramatic late winner. 

For Ballinasloe and Lynch it made his costly return from Toronto well worth it as the striker had emigrated to the Canadian City just two weeks previously.

The finalists, who had seen off two Galway League sides in the semi finals, produced contrasting starts as Ballinasloe were much more assertive from the kick off.

Indeed within ten seconds, Gary Egan and Alan Duffy had combined to set up Lynch, but the impressive Martin Geraghty got across to block his close range effort.

 Geraghty was one of the game’s outstanding performers and along with Shaun Tagg gave the Town front-runners very little latitude but, in fairness, the Ballinasloe central defensive duo of Mike Lynch and Peter Keighery were equally efficient in an outstanding performance.

Mark Duffy had an early effort blocked while visiting goalkeeper Cunningham was inspiring all around him as he came and claimed everything with authority and confidence all over his area.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.