GAA: Brace of points by Power seals title

John Mitchels 0-8 Ballinameela 0-6

It was a hard-earned but deserved win and with it a return to the top flight next season for Mitchels.

They contrived to shoot many bad wides and these threatened to come back to haunt them when Ballinameela levelled with seven minutes remaining. But then Power came to the rescue, slotting over the all important points from placed balls in the 56th and 60th minutes.

And now Ballinameela, the club that dominated the football scene in the county in the 1970s before sensationally going out of business, now find themselves back in senior ranks just two years after the club was reformed.

An entertaining and hugely competitive first half saw the sides on level terms four times before Neilly O’Connor’s point from a 35-metre free in the 29th minute gave the winners a 0-5 to 0-4 interval lead.

It could, and should, have been a more commanding one, however, with Kieran O’Connor squandering a glorious goal chance in added-time when he blazed wide from eight metres after being set up by his brother Neilly.

If Ballinameela enjoyed that major let-off, it was Mitchels turn within seconds of the restart when James Fletcher somehow failed to convert after he found himself clean through with only keeper Maurice Maye to beat. It was a miss the losers were left to ruefully reflect on.

Neilly O’Connor’s pointed “45” widened the gap to two, but Ballinameela impressively responded with a brace from the excellent Eoghan Walsh and a replay loomed large with the sides still deadlocked as the game went into the final five minutes.

Then came the clinching scores from Power. The first was from a very dubious free which the defenders fiercely contested, but no doubting the second and the accuracy of Power from both under intense pressure brought its deserved reward.

Scorers for John Mitchels: N. O’Connor(0-3, 0-2 frees, 0-1 "45”); K. Nolan(0-2); J. Power(0-2, frees); P. Kirwan(0-1).

Ballinameela: Eoghan Walsh(0-5, 0-3 frees); Eamonn Walsh(0-1) .

JOHN MITCHELS: M. Maye; N. Barry. K. O’Reilly. P. Fogarty; L. Barry. D. O’Reilly. P. Hassett; T. Kirwan. D. Kirwan; K. Nolan. N. O’Connor. K. O’Connor; J. Power. P. Kirwan. D. O’Connor.

Subs: A. Kirwan for D. O’Connor; M. Whelan for K. O’Connor.

BALLINAMEELA: J. McGrath; T. Power. P. Barron. R. McCarthy; K. Stack. M. Walsh. K. McGrath; A. Ahearne. Eamonn Walsh; P. Scanlan. Eoghan Walsh. J. Fletcher; J. Maher. J. O’Brien. J. Stack.

Subs; B. Fitzgerald for Fletcher; C. Walsh for J. Stack.

Referee: Stan Flynn, Fenor.