Stephenites stamp their authority all over the Mayo senior football final

Ballina Stephenites captured their second Connacht Gold Mayo Senior Football Championship title in a row – and 38th overall – with a dominant display against neighbours Knockmore, winning by 1-12 to 0-8 in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar.

The defending champions laid down a marker early on, scoring 1-2 without reply before 10 minutes had elapsed, and Knockmore – champions in 2020 and '21 – just weren't ever able to recover from the slow start.

Ballina worked tirelessly all over the pitch, forcing numerous turnovers, and Knockmore couldn't cope with the pressure.

In the end the Stephenites were clear winners, though Knockmore must be commended for fighting right to the very end.

The scene was set early on. Ballina laid down a marker with two early frees – one each from Frank Irwin and Evan Regan – but the standout score arrived in the ninth minute.

Ballina turned over possession around the middle and Luke Doherty delivered an excellent long delivery into Regan, who turned and went for goal, arrowing a shot into the bottom right corner from all of 25 yards, taking Knockmore 'keeper Colm Reape by surprise.

Knockmore, who had kicked a few efforts short in the early stages, got the score they badly needed in the 12th minute, a pointed free by Caolan Hopkins.

Sam Callinan and Keith Ruttledge swapped points to leave the defending champions ahead by five (1-4 to 0-2) by the end of the first quarter.

Regan landed another free at the start of the second quarter, while Aidan Orme – Knockmore's most impressive performer on the day – knocked over a beauty at the other end.

But Knockmore just couldn't eat into the gap that Ballina had created early on, and by the break there were six points between the sides (1-6 to 0-3) after Sean Regan and Frank Irwin (free) both dissected the posts for the Stephenites.

Ballina were quick out of the traps in the second half two, with Conor McStay and Mikey Murray stretching the lead to eight (1-8 to 0-3) before Knockmore could respond through Caolan Hopkins, who finished off a good move.

But the lead went out to 10 by the start of the final quarter (1-11 to 0-4) and it was always going to be too big a gap for Knockmore to come back from. They out-scored Ballina by 0-4 to 0-1 before the end but rarely looked like getting in for the goal they needed, although Stephenites 'keeper David Clarke was forced into one good stop, with Conor McStay assisting to clear the ball off the line.

In the end there could be no denying the Stephenites, however, who backed up last year's victory over Breaffy with a much more assured and clinical display this year. A Connacht adventure now awaits, starting with a trip to London in two weeks' time.

Ballina Stephenites: David Clarke; Liam Golden, Padraig O'Hora, David Tighe; Sean Regan (0-1), Sam Callinan (0-1), Luke Jordan; Mikey Murray (0-2), Frank Irwin (0-3); Luke Doherty, Conor McStay (0-2), Niall Feeney (0-1); Evan Regan (1-2), Luke Feeney, Brendan Collins.

Subs used: Ciaran Boland, Ciaran Treacy, Dylan Thornton, Ciaran Sweeney, Stephen Mullins.

Knockmore: Colm Reape; David McHale, Kieran King, Adam Battle; Nathan Armstrong, Conor Flynn, Sean Holmes; Connell Dempsey, Kevin McLoughlin; Oliver Armstrong, Darren McHale, Keith Ruttledge (0-1); Liam Durcan, Aidan Orme (0-4), Caolan Hopkins (0-3).

Subs used: Adam Naughton, Billy Ruane, Charlie Bourke, Peter Naughton, Darragh Staunton.

Referee: Jerome Henry (Castlebar Mitchels).