Regan finds his range to help bridge 36-year gap

MAYO SFC Final Ballaghaderreen 0-13 Charlestown 1-6:BALLAGHADERREEN ended a 36-year famine by claiming the Mayo senior football title in a thrilling final against Charlestown at McHale Park, Castlebar, yesterday.

There were tense moments before Ballaghaderreen captain Gary Conway got his hands on the Moclair Cup.

Leading by 0-11 to 0-2 at half-time it was difficult to see Charlestown finding a route back, but back they came to make it a four-point game thanks to a Paul Mulligan goal 10 minutes from time and it was game on.

With memories of that late goal from Crossmolina which denied them two years ago, Ballaghaderreen had their backs to the wall but this time they held their nerve as some terrific defending from Stephen Drake and Barry Kelly held them together.

Charlestown's tactic of pumping the high ball into full forward Tony Mulligan with the help of a gale was paying dividends, a superb save from goalkeeper Ollie Flanagan denying Mulligan.

Australia-bound Tom Parsons, a commanding figure at midfield in the second half along with a powerful attacking half-back line of Keith and Dermot Higgins and Kevin Deignan, had Ballaghaderreen back-peddling as the game grew in intensity and excitement before a crowd of around 3,000.

However, this game was won and lost in the first half.

Ballaghaderreen had set their stall out from once Barry Regan, their top scorer on six points, pointed inside 30 seconds of the throw-in to lay down a marker for the half.

It was a half they were to dominate almost totally with a gale-force wind at their back, Regan contributing six points, Andy Hanley, Michael Solan, Gary Conway and two from Barry Kelley pushing Ballaghaderreens advantage by half-time to nine points - 0-11 to 0-2 - and extended to 10 points when Andy Moran struck inside a minute of the restart.

Charlestown's problems in the first half stemmed from midfield, where James Kilcullen and Barry Kelly dominated and good ball was well used by a Ballaghaderreen attack, where Moran, Barry Regan and Andy Hanley were particularly effective.

BALLAGHADERREEN:O Flanagan; S Drake, P Rogers, T Regan; N Tuohy, P Hanley, G Conway (0-1); B Kelly (0-2), J Kilcullen; M Solan (0-1), B Solan, A Hanley (0-1); A Moran (0-1), B Regan (0-6, four frees), J Dillon. Subs: P Kelly (0-1) for B Solan (17 mins), P Kelly for B. Solan (50 mins), D Drake for Kelly (55 mins).

CHARLESTOWN:J Casey; E Casey, S Lenehan, D Caffrey; D Higgins (0-1), A Higgins, K Deignan; D Tiernan, T Parsons; R Haran (0-4, four frees), M Caffrey, P Mulligan (1-1); O Conway, T Mulligan, S. Morris. Subs: R. Lenehan for Morris (22 mins), M. Divvily for E. Casey (40 mins).

Referee:C Collins (Lacken).