Ballinasloe bag crucial goals

Ballinasloe (Galway) 2-7 Port Mór (Armagh) 0-10

The Galway and Connacht champions did their best work in the first half to open up a 2-5 to 0-4 interval lead.

A Padraic Cunningham penalty (5) gave the westerners a huge early fillip before team-mate Michael Colohan palmed the ball to the net in the 22nd minute.

Port Mór carried the game to Ballinasloe in the second-half but their cause seemed lost when they trailed 2-7 to 0-5 after 36 minutes.

However, Ballinasloe tired in the very heavy going and classy points from David Curran (44) and Shane Nugent (48) added to Port Mor’s momentum. But the goal they required never came and Ballinasloe booked their Croke Park date.

BALLINASLOE: N King; E Fenton, D Nevin, J Shaughnessy; N Hynes, K Kelly (0-2, both frees), S Kenny; L Lynch (0-2), L Tierney; D Burke, P Cunningham (1-1, one pen), G Canavan; D McCormack (0-1), M Colohan (1-0), P Whelehan (0-1).

Subs: S Kelly for E Fenton (half-time); J Twohig for M Colohan (48); R O’Healy for S Kenny (50).

PORTMOR: G Kelly; G Curran, N Traynor, C McKenna; G McCrilly, L Donnelly, B Nugent; C Holmes, M Curran; M Casey (0-2, one free), D Curran (0-5, four frees), M McCrory; C Lennon, G Traynor (0-1), S Nugent (0-1).

Subs: J McBride for L Donnelly (27); C Donnelly (0-1) for G McCrilly (55). G McGee for M Casey (59).

Referee: J Curley (Meath).