Mayo SFC final/Ballina Stephenites 1-9 Knockmore 0-6: A week after being substituted at half-time in their semi-final win against Crossmolina, Liam Brady scored 1-7 to win himself the man-of-the-match award, and his team the Mayo championship for the second succesive year.
Despite managing to score only three second-half points, two of which came inside the final five minutes of play, Ballina had done enough by half-time to ensure victory against a Knockmore side that never looked like seriously troubling their neighbouring parish.
Although they scored in the first minute through a Kevin O'Neill free, Knockmore had to wait 18 minutes before making any further impact on the scoreboard.
By that stage, Ballina had raced into a four point lead as Liam Brady powerfully hit the net for his side's opening score, rounding off a tidy move involving David Brady, Patrick McHale and Paul McGarry.
It could have been worse for Knockmore were it not for a wonderful save by goalkeeper Derek Butler, who somehow parried away what looked to be a certain goal for Ballina's Pat Harte.
However, had Kenny Golden not made a dramatic goal-line clearance from Aidan Kilcoyne's soccer style shot with just over 10 minutes to go, the losers may have been able to treat the six thousand attendance to a grandstand finish.
BALLINA STEPHENITES: J Healy, K Golden, M Wynne, C Leonard, B Ruane, S Sweeney, E Devenney, D Brady, R McGarrity, P Harte (0-1, free), G Brady (0-1), S Hughes, L Brady (1-7), P McGarry, P McHale. Subs: E Casey (for Hughes 40), B McStay (for G Brady 59).
KNOCKMORE: D Butler, T Howley, F Sweeney, J Brogan, G O'Hora (0-1), P Clarke, J Coy, D Sweeney, K Staunton, T Warde, P Cawley, D Munnelly, K O'Neill (0-2 frees), A Kilcoyne (0-1), A Butler (0-1). Subs: S Sweeney (0-1, for Warde 17), C Rowland (for Munnelly 57).
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