The curtain came down on the competitive football season at McHale Park on Sunday when despite a brave performance our minor team lost out to a physically stronger Ballinrobe team in the County C final. This was an entertaining contest played in mild autumn conditions as a curtain raiser to the county junior final.
The Gaels got off to a good start when captain Paul Mannion burst through the middle to kick a fine point on the run from the throw in. Ballinrobe responded well with two points from play from their live wire corner forward. Paul Mannion leveled the game with a fine free from fifty yards after good work by Kevin Lynch and Darren Prendergast. Ballinrobe dominated the remainder of the half and kicked four points on the trot prom play. Indeed they could have been further ahead were it not from a fine save from PJ Larkin. The Gaels finished the half strongly with points from play from Joe Gilroy and substitute Adam Gallagher to leave only two between the sides at halftime 0-6 to 0-4.
An Adam Gallagher point on the resumption left the minimum in it. Ballinrobe had their best patch of the game when they scored 1-3 with out reply to stretch their lead to 1-9 to 0-6. To their credit the Gaels refused to die with a point from Kevin Lynch and a great goal from Adam Gallagher to cut the gap to two points. Again Ballinrobe responded well with two points from play before a Kevin Lynch free left four in it. The hard working Adam Gallagher was unlucky to see his fine run and shot fly over the bar when a goal seemed a certainty. This proved to be the final Gaels score as Ballinrobe closed the game out with three points in the last five minutes to run out 1-14 to 1-8. The Gaels lads can hold their heads high as they gave their large support a lot to cheer about all year.
Mayo Gaels team: PJ Larkin, Brian Heneghan, Brian Moran, Mark Adams, Fintan Canavan, Paul Mannion, Kevin Lynch, Joe Gilroy, Shane Lyons, Darren Prendergast, Brian Flynn. Subs. Alan Morris for Shane Lyons, Adam Gallagher for Brian Flynn, Kevin Jordan for Darren Prendergast, Shane Lyons for Joe Gilroy, Brian Flynn for Alan Morris.
