Mayo SHC final: Boland on the double as Tooreen triumph

October 21, 2017

Mayo's Fergal Boland.
©INPHO/Tom Beary.

Fergal Boland scored two almost identical goals in the space of three second half minutes as Tooreen stopped Ballyhaunis' four-in-a-row bid with a 2-10 to 0-6 victory in a rain-soaked Mayo SHC final at Adrian Freeman Park, Tooreen.

Conditions were atrocious for the clash of the local rivals and played a part in both goals. Ballyhaunis goalkeeper Donal O'Brien allowed a long range shot from Boland to slip from his grasp and across the line for the first goal in the 46th minute. Disaster struck O'Brien again a short time later when another speculative effort from Boland deceived him and ended up in the roof of the net to give the hosts a commanding 2-7 to 0-5 lead.

Twelve months ago, a Keith Higgins-inspired Ballyhaunis staged a late rally to force a replay, but the men in blue were never going to let that happen again.

Tooreen, who won their first title since 2013 and 28th in all, held a slender 0-5 to 0-4 lead at the break.

Tooreen - S Lenehan; D Huane, M Morley, A Henry; C Henry, C Freeman (0-1), D Kenny; S Coyne, F Boland (2-2); K Feeney (0-1f), S Regan, S Boland (0-5f); B Morley, B Douglas, S Kenny (0-1). Subs: C Charlton for B Douglas, S Morley for S Kenny, C English for C Charlton.

Ballyhaunis - D O'Brien; A Brennan, M Phillips, A Lyons; K Kiely, L Cribbin, F Lyons; E Collins, K McDermott; A Phillips, K Higgins (0-2), B Hunt (0-4f); P Kelly, S Hoban, J Lyons. Subs: S Griffin for K Kiely, J Coyne for P Kiely, C Gardiner for A Brennan.

Referee - M Collins.


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