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Dramatic victory for senior squad
Michael Gallagher29 Jan 2023 - 17:25
Ballina 25-19 Midleton
Sportspeople often say the minutes spent in the changing room with their colleagues following memorable victories are among the greatest of all. That was certainly the case in Heffernan Park on Saturday following our senior squad’s victory over Midleton. Mighty men sat around the walls tired from their exertions, but proud, happy and satisfied at a job well done.
The 25-19 win was crucial in the battle near the bottom of Division 2C table and the delight in the home dressingroom illustrated that fact brilliantly. Outside the walls, the big home crowd was making its way to the clubhouse and all was good with the world.
Midleton arrived by the Moy determined to win the day and take a huge step towards mid-table safety. The Munster men began well and were rewarded with a brace of penalties to leave the home boys facing a 6-0 deficit after 16 minutes. Ballina needed a reply and it came four minutes later when the home boys got over the line and Ronan Connolly converted for a 7-6 lead.
However, Midleton roared back and moved into a 16-7 lead before a successful penalty left the scoreboard reading 16-10 to the guests at half time.
Ballina needed a huge second half effort and got it. The big crowd roared themselves hoarse and the men in green drew a line in the sand. Six minutes into the second half, Bradley Nealon got over for a priceless try and when Darragh Whyte drilled over a 69th minute penalty the home side were two points clear, 18-16.
Moments later, Nealon got in for his second try of the day and when Whyte slotted the conversion, the lead was out to nine, 25-16.
In the closing minutes, a Midleton penalty took them to within a converted try of victory and that created huge excitement around the ground but there was no catching the Ballina men and afterwards ‘The Boys From The County Mayo’ rang out across the Moy in the heartiest of voice.
BALLINA: B Nealon, D Whyte, C Quinn, R Molloy, I West, R Connolly, B Walsh; E Creaven, B McVann, G Kavanagh, T Hannigan, B O’Leary, A Corduff, J Mills, A McNulty
Replacements: S Hopkins, B Boland, C Boyce, H Regan, C Quinn
MIDLETON: A Malone, J Power, A Leahy, R Daly, C Lynch, S Lee, K Read; E Lordan Bailey, D O’Sullivan, G McIntyre, R Lehane, D Broderick, J du Troit, F McCarthy, C Walsh
Replacements; D O’Keefe, C Smiddy, M Stanton, G Collins, D Malone
The 25-19 win was crucial in the battle near the bottom of Division 2C table and the delight in the home dressingroom illustrated that fact brilliantly. Outside the walls, the big home crowd was making its way to the clubhouse and all was good with the world.
Midleton arrived by the Moy determined to win the day and take a huge step towards mid-table safety. The Munster men began well and were rewarded with a brace of penalties to leave the home boys facing a 6-0 deficit after 16 minutes. Ballina needed a reply and it came four minutes later when the home boys got over the line and Ronan Connolly converted for a 7-6 lead.
However, Midleton roared back and moved into a 16-7 lead before a successful penalty left the scoreboard reading 16-10 to the guests at half time.
Ballina needed a huge second half effort and got it. The big crowd roared themselves hoarse and the men in green drew a line in the sand. Six minutes into the second half, Bradley Nealon got over for a priceless try and when Darragh Whyte drilled over a 69th minute penalty the home side were two points clear, 18-16.
Moments later, Nealon got in for his second try of the day and when Whyte slotted the conversion, the lead was out to nine, 25-16.
In the closing minutes, a Midleton penalty took them to within a converted try of victory and that created huge excitement around the ground but there was no catching the Ballina men and afterwards ‘The Boys From The County Mayo’ rang out across the Moy in the heartiest of voice.
BALLINA: B Nealon, D Whyte, C Quinn, R Molloy, I West, R Connolly, B Walsh; E Creaven, B McVann, G Kavanagh, T Hannigan, B O’Leary, A Corduff, J Mills, A McNulty
Replacements: S Hopkins, B Boland, C Boyce, H Regan, C Quinn
MIDLETON: A Malone, J Power, A Leahy, R Daly, C Lynch, S Lee, K Read; E Lordan Bailey, D O’Sullivan, G McIntyre, R Lehane, D Broderick, J du Troit, F McCarthy, C Walsh
Replacements; D O’Keefe, C Smiddy, M Stanton, G Collins, D Malone
Further reading