Ballina show their belief to end heartache

Ballina Stephenites 1-12 Portlaoise 2-8: Had Ballina been offered the opportunity to script yesterday's AIB All-Ireland final, they would have struggled to come up with a more satisfying narrative.

The club who lost their previous final by a point after spending most of the hour the better team gave another superior performance but this time it stuck.

They were even able to close out the match, protecting the precious one-point lead with a display of basketball-inspired possession play. This probably did nothing for the nerves of their supporters but if a club had to be chosen to run down the clock hoops-style, Ballina would be top of most people's list.

"I've been a loser all my life," reflected David Brady after his seventh All-Ireland final had finally yielded the elusive winner's medal. His sense of redemption spread through the entire team. The catalogue of heartache that details Brady's career wouldn't have led anyone to see Ballina as obvious champions, let alone ones that would tough out a tight finish.

The Mayo champions went into the match on the back of a pretty dire semi-final and minus the star of their campaign, Enda Devenney. But the worm of self-doubt that has undone more than a few teams from the county never appeared to insinuate itself into a particularly strong-minded performance.

Portlaoise always looked to have enough in reserve to be able to hit the pedals and pull away. The Leinster champions' two goals were perfectly timed and the second in particular looked to have sent them decisively to the front. But Ballina were calm in the storm and busied themselves doing the simple things right and their focus and perseverance eventually unhinged the opposition.

This was a really good match, oscillating between one side and the other. At no stage was there more than a score in it and both sides played clever, controlled football.

There were so many moments and phases in the match that seemed to suggest an advantage to one side and then the other but in the end and to their enormous credit, Ballina made the move with the tape in sight and held off the frantic response.

Liam Brady kicked a free from behind the 45-metre line in the 58th minute. His accuracy hadn't been unerring over the hour but this one soared confidently over the bar for the final score.

There were still four minutes left and a real auto da fe it proved. A couple of minutes later Portlaoise, with a measure of calm desperation, picked out a move that put Peter McNulty in on goal. In retrospect the Laois side will regret not taking the safe option of nailing down an equaliser but McNulty's shot for goal was plucked off the line by replacement Aidan Tighe.

A last-minute free from Kevin Fitzpatrick dropped on goal and into the hands of Pat Harte to crown a fantastic second half by the tall wing forward.

The match ebbed and flowed from the start. Early wides from Ballina got heads shaking early and a couple of goal chances then came to nothing: Liam Brady opting for the certainty of a point and Stephen Hughes pulling a soccer-style cross back behind Brady.

The first significant action came in the 14th minute when the otherwise impressive James Devenney pulled down Craig Rogers. The foul was clear but there was ambiguity about the location. Nonetheless referee Brian Crowe gave the penalty, which Fitzpatrick struck perfectly - too high and well hit for John Healy in the Ballina goal - for the lead, 1-2 to 0-4.

Brady's missed free from 30 metres got heads shaking again but the Mayo side plugged away and Portlaoise didn't pull away. Instead they were guilty of lapses in concentration with both Michael Nolan and Ian Fitzgerald losing kicks for undue delay.

At the break the Leinster side led 1-5 to 0-6. They looked more likely - but by no means certain - winners.

In retrospect the early second half contained significant encouragement for Ballina. Colm Parkinson had done much good work winning ball for Portlaoise and this continued but his decision- making on the ball was beginning to look flawed and the team squandered some good chances.

At centrefield David Brady and Ronan McGarrity came more strongly into the game and Ballina's defence, where captain Brian Ruane was an inspiration - either in the thick of the rearguard or continually evading his man Rogers to drive his team forward.

The red light came on for Portlaoise six minutes after the break. Patrick McHale, having replaced the injured Shane Melia, made the break from the right corner and got the ball into Hughes who deftly rounded Nolan and slotted in the goal that gave Ballina a 1-9 to 1-6 lead.

The Portlaoise goal then came under sustained pressure. Nolan was dispossessed in the 39th minute and the ball nearly ran over the line. Three minutes later the goalkeeper made a good save from McHale.

Enda Devenney was sent on to provide inspiration but mobility was considerably restricted by his injury.

This eventful phase climaxed in the 26th minute with Parkinson for once providing a quick transfer and McNulty moving the ball to Fitzpatrick. The centrefielder had a similar chance to win the Leinster final for Laois last summer but sent his shot wide.

Patently uninhibited by this he cracked off a gunpowder shot that hit the net to give his side a one-point lead, 2-7 to 1-9. McNulty followed with a point and that became the target.

For the final 10 minutes the verdict tilted towards Ballina and bit by bit, their belief hardening, they went for it. One by one the three points chinged up on the register and eventually the till flew open for the accomplished Connacht champions.

BALLINA: J Healy; J Devenney, M Wynne, C Leonard; B Ruane (capt; 0-1), S Sweeney, S Melia; R McGarrity, D Brady (0-1); P Harte (0-2, one free), G Brady (0-1), E Casey (0-1); P McGarry, L Brady (0-5, three frees), S Hughes (1-0). Subs: P McHale (0-1) for Melia (27 mins), E Devenney for McGarry (43 mins), A Tighe for Leonard (54 mins).

PORTLAOISE: M Nolan; T Fitzgerald, C Byrne, E Bland; B Mulligan, C Healy, A Fennelly; M Delaney, K Fitzpatrick (2-0, one penalty); B McCormack (0-1), I Fitzgerald, B Fitzgerald (0-1, free); P McNulty (0-4, three frees), C Parkinson (capt; 0-1), C Rogers (0-1).

Referee: B Crowe (Cavan).