CONNAUGHT JUNIOR CUP (Quarter-final)
FEENEY WRITES GLORIOUS NEW CHAPTER FOR WEST MAYO CLUB
Ballyheane confound their critics!
St. Bernard's........................... 1
Ballyheane.............................. 1
(Ballyheane won 3-2 on penalties after extra time)
BY TOM KELLY. . .AT ABBEYKNOCKMOY
Ballyheane are on a glorious roll! They confounded their critics at Abbeyknockmoy on Sunday by reaching the penultimate round of the Connaught Junior Cup for the first time in the club's history.
The West Mayo side caused another significant upset in the series by putting paid to the stubborn challenge of St. Bernard's in a quarter-final confrontation high in passion and commitment.
Bobby Feeney, a central personality in transforming Ballyheane from a second rate side to one strong on ambition and direction, fittingly exercised the decisive stroke which ensured a famous victory.
The 39-years-old midfield supremo converted the match-winning penalty kick which clinched Ballyheane's place in the semi-final against Galway Hibs or Cliffoney Celtic at home later in the month.
Feeney, a Connaught Cup winner with Castlebar Celtic in 1985 and 1986, took the responsibility of taking the final spot-kick with the side's deadlocked at 2-2.
The Mayo County Council employee, who combines playing with managing the club, displayed the wealth of his experience by clinically directly the ball past St. Bernard's goalkeeper, Michael Collins.
Despite having done it all, so to speak, in a distinguished career spanning two decades, Feeney was quick to point out in the aftermath that the moment would hold a special place in his memories.
"Ballyheane have supported me to the hilt since I joined them over a year ago. I was delighted to pay them back some little way with a victory which can only be beneficial to the future development of the club.
"Our performances in the Connaught Cup have shown we are capable of competing with the best, and that's exactly the type of standard we have to keep setting ourselves.
"It is results like this one which give us the confidence to play to our potential. We have a fair bit to go yet. But with a home draw in the semi-final, it would be foolish to rule us out of the equation."
Feeney admitted his side just about deserved to overcome St. Bernard's. "It was as tough a game as we had all season, and I felt Ballyheane displayed tremendous character under pressure in the second half. Even when we were pegged back in the dying moments, we never lost sight of our objective."
Feeney may have been the hero of the occasion, but St. Bernards will long bemoan the poor quality of their penalty-kicking.
They handed the initiative to Ballyheane on a proverbial silver platter by missing three of their first four attempts, presenting the Mayo side with the luxury of having two opportunities to win the game.
Anthony Skeffington, Ballyheane's fourth penalty-taker, squandered the first chance when his powerfully-struck effort hit the crossbar. Kevin McWalter evened up the score for St. Bernard's by converting his side's fifth kick. But Feeney made certain of success for Ballyheane with a neatly executed drive.
Goalkeeper Sean Fahy and Greg Flynn were Ballyheane's other successful penalty-kickers, with Tom Burke blasting his attempt wide of the mark.
It was the only blemish in an exceptionally good performance by the indefatigable Burke, who epitomised Ballyheane's spirit and never-say-die approach.
Ballyheane, displaying the more precise passing ability, took a deserved lead in the 22nd minute through Brian Donnelly. Donnelly, who had been rampant down the left flank from the beginning, powered a spectacular 20-yards drive into a top corner of the net following good work by Kieran Heneghan.
Moments earlier, Anthony Skeffington had an ever better opportunity, but he was penalised for a hand-ball infringement inside the six yards box.
Ballyheane had clearly the upper hand in the opening half, with Bobby Feeney dictating the pattern from his central midfield position.
St. Bernard's were restricted to one shot on target during the period, a sweetly-struck free-kick by Brian Healy which tested goalkeeper Sean Fahy.
The home side were a different proposition in the second half, however, forcing Ballyheane into some desperate defending. As a matter of fact, the Mayo side struggled to get out of their own half, being caught time and again by the assistant referee's offside flag.
To their credit, Ballyheane defended wonderfully well under pressure, and goalkeeper Sean Fahy underlined his class by producing a magnificent reflex save from Tom Ryder's piledriver in the 75th minute.
Ballyheane were two minutes away from victory when disaster struck. A corner-kick on the left by Tom Joyce was headed into the net the persistent Michael Coleman, and St. Bernard's were back in business.
At the juncture, the odds favoured them securing a hard-earned win in extra-time. But gritty Ballyheane refused to concede a further inch, and the reward for their mammoth effort was delivered by Bobby Feeney with the last kick of a memorable game.
Ballyheane are at home to Galway Hibs or Cliffoney of Sligo in the semi-final later this month. On this performance, they can no longer be underestimated.
St. Bernard's: M. Collins, T. Kelly, T. Nicholson, T. Keane, M. Coleman, D. Finn, G. Rabbette, P. Burke, B. Healy, T. Ryder, J. Keane. Res: T. Joyce (for Rabbette); J. Dunne (for Healy); K. McWalter (for Keane).
Ballyheane: S. Fahy, B. Heneghan, I. Duffy, C. Conroy, T. Burke, G. Flynn, K. Lally, B. Feeney, A. Skeffington, K. Heneghan, B. Donnelly. Res: S. Coogan (for Lally); P. Fahy (for Donnelly); T. Coghill (for B. Heneghan inj.).
Ref: J. Howley (Galway).
* Star Rating: Tom Burke. . .never-say-die.
Connaught Telegraph - News & Sport - February 1997
