Connacht Club FC: There was little room for sentiment in Ballina yesterday as Ballina Stephenites tore apart a Roscommon Gaels team managed by their former county championship winning captain Kevin McStay.
Ballina held a six-point advantage at the interval, 0-11 to 1-2, despite conceding a goal eight minutes before the break when Gaels wing back Michael Costelloe shot low past David Clarke. At that stage, the hosts had built an 0-8 to 0-1 lead thanks to three points from Liam Brady and one each from his brother Ger, Stephen Hughes, Paul McGarry, Pat Harte and Ronan McGarrity.
Costelloe's goal was followed by Alan Nolan's second free but points by Harte, McGarry and Liam Brady meant the 1999 All-Ireland finalists were in control.
By the time Nolan kicked his third point on 47 minutes, the gap was only narrowed to 10 as a further brace of scores by Hughes, a point from Liam Brady and a goal by substitute Éanna Casey underlined Ballina's total dominance.
BALLINA STEPHENITES: D Clarke; K Golden, M Wynne, C Leonard; B Ruane, S Sweeney, E Devenney (0-1); D Brady (0-1), R McGarrity (0-1); P Harte (0-2, frees), G Brady (0-1), S Hughes (0-3); L Brady (0-5, 3 frees), P McGarry (0-2), P McHale. Subs: E Casey (1-0) for McHale (half-time), B McStay (0-2, 1 free) for McGarrity (48 mins), S Melia for Harte (49 mins), A Kelly for Hughes (55 mins), T Duffy for Leonard (58 mins).
ROSCOMMON GAELS: C Grogan; E Browne, J Nolan, F O'Reilly; M Costelloe (1-0), C Kilcline, M Ryan; B McNeela, F O'Donnell; C O'Brien, L Dowd (0-2, 1 45), C McDonald; R Shannon, A Nolan (0-3, 2 frees), M O'Keefe. Subs: B Penny for Browne 35 mins), K Kilcline for O'Reilly (42 mins), E Coll for Shannon (45 mins), D O'Gara for O'Brien (46 mins), J McHale for Kilcline 57 mins).
Referee: M Curley (Galway).
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