THE 2024 CONNACHT senior club final will be the first Sligo versus Roscommon decider since Clann na nGael beat St. Mary’s after a replay in 1984, following wins in sharply contrasting styles for Coolera-Strandhill and Pádraig Pearses this afternoon.
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The Roscommon club will be warm order favourites for that clash in Markievicz Park in a fortnight, after they laid down a serious marker in Ballinamore this afternoon, following on from their impressive performance against Corofin a week ago.
Frank Canning’s side overpowered and suffocated Mohill in a devastating second half-display, outscoring the home side by 0-10 to 0-1 after a tense first half suggested that the large crowd might be about the be treated to a tight and dramatic finale.
This is a seventh consecutive championship clean sheet for the Roscommon club and their sixth win in seven Connacht championship games across the 2019, 2021 and 2024 seasons, and this afternoon they showed all their composure when they reacted perfectly to their failure to score in the first quarter.
One Declan Kenny shot off the post and a couple of poor wides might have rattled other sides, but Pearses held their nerve and finally got off the mark through two points in a minute from Ronan Daly.
The tie was still finely poised at half-time at 0-3 to 0-2 in Pearses’ favour, and while the breeze was set to favour the visitors for the second 30 minutes, Evan Harkin’s point in traffic in the 36th minute showed that there was still a kick in Mohill.
That was until Mohill corner back David Mitchell picked up his second yellow card in the 41st minute.
Within five minutes of gaining a numerical advantage, Conor Daly had sent over the best score of the game from long range and Declan Kenny split the uprights on the run, and all of a sudden it was 0-8 to 0-3 and one of the best defensive sides in Ireland was never going to be reeled in.
One week after their successful trip to London, Ballina struggled with the much shorter journey down the N59 to Markievicz Park and ultimately crashed out on penalties after failing to hold on to a two-point lead at the end of extra-time.
In a contest that was fiercely tight throughout, Ballina overcame a black card for Pádraig O’Hora just before half-time and still kicked the first two points of the second half to lead by 0-5 to 0-3 when the Mayo county player returned the field.
Points from Barry O’Mahony, Niall Murphy (two) and Ross O’Carroll in the space of ten minutes shifted the momentum towards the Sligo champions but they couldn’t push on. Substitute Dylan Thornton levelled the game while Ciarán Treacy had a goal attempt stopped on the line in the 60th minute, meaning it was still 0-7 each when the hour expired.
Evan Regan and Treacy kicked Ballina into a two-point lead while Niall Murphy was black-carded, but Murphy came off the bench to kick two frees that forced penalties, and he was one of the five Coolera-Strandhill players that nailed their penalties, meaning that Keelan Harte’s save on Conor McStay’s kick was the crucial play that sent the seaside club through to their first ever Connacht senior final.
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Sligo champions advance to Connacht final after penalties as Pádraig Pearses also progress
Connacht Club SFC Semi-Finals
Pádraig Pearses 0-13 Mohill 0-3
Coolera-Strandhill 0-9 Ballina Stephenites 0-9
(Coolera-Strandhill win 5-4 on penalties)
****
THE 2024 CONNACHT senior club final will be the first Sligo versus Roscommon decider since Clann na nGael beat St. Mary’s after a replay in 1984, following wins in sharply contrasting styles for Coolera-Strandhill and Pádraig Pearses this afternoon.
The Roscommon club will be warm order favourites for that clash in Markievicz Park in a fortnight, after they laid down a serious marker in Ballinamore this afternoon, following on from their impressive performance against Corofin a week ago.
Frank Canning’s side overpowered and suffocated Mohill in a devastating second half-display, outscoring the home side by 0-10 to 0-1 after a tense first half suggested that the large crowd might be about the be treated to a tight and dramatic finale.
This is a seventh consecutive championship clean sheet for the Roscommon club and their sixth win in seven Connacht championship games across the 2019, 2021 and 2024 seasons, and this afternoon they showed all their composure when they reacted perfectly to their failure to score in the first quarter.
One Declan Kenny shot off the post and a couple of poor wides might have rattled other sides, but Pearses held their nerve and finally got off the mark through two points in a minute from Ronan Daly.
The tie was still finely poised at half-time at 0-3 to 0-2 in Pearses’ favour, and while the breeze was set to favour the visitors for the second 30 minutes, Evan Harkin’s point in traffic in the 36th minute showed that there was still a kick in Mohill.
That was until Mohill corner back David Mitchell picked up his second yellow card in the 41st minute.
Within five minutes of gaining a numerical advantage, Conor Daly had sent over the best score of the game from long range and Declan Kenny split the uprights on the run, and all of a sudden it was 0-8 to 0-3 and one of the best defensive sides in Ireland was never going to be reeled in.
One week after their successful trip to London, Ballina struggled with the much shorter journey down the N59 to Markievicz Park and ultimately crashed out on penalties after failing to hold on to a two-point lead at the end of extra-time.
In a contest that was fiercely tight throughout, Ballina overcame a black card for Pádraig O’Hora just before half-time and still kicked the first two points of the second half to lead by 0-5 to 0-3 when the Mayo county player returned the field.
Points from Barry O’Mahony, Niall Murphy (two) and Ross O’Carroll in the space of ten minutes shifted the momentum towards the Sligo champions but they couldn’t push on. Substitute Dylan Thornton levelled the game while Ciarán Treacy had a goal attempt stopped on the line in the 60th minute, meaning it was still 0-7 each when the hour expired.
Evan Regan and Treacy kicked Ballina into a two-point lead while Niall Murphy was black-carded, but Murphy came off the bench to kick two frees that forced penalties, and he was one of the five Coolera-Strandhill players that nailed their penalties, meaning that Keelan Harte’s save on Conor McStay’s kick was the crucial play that sent the seaside club through to their first ever Connacht senior final.
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Ballina Stephenites GAA Connacht SFC Club Coolera-Strandhill GAA Mohill GAA Padraig Pearses GAA Wrap