Mannion brothers lead the way for Ahascragh/Fohenagh
Ahascragh/Fohenagh 2-20
Ballyhaunis 0-13
THE Mannion brothers proved once more what a valuable asset they are to this Ahascragh/Fohenagh side, as a scoring masterclass by Cathal in tandem with a rock solid defensive display anchored by Padraic as sweeper, saw them claim the Connacht intermediate hurling crown in Athleague on Sunday.
Ahascragh/Fohenagh were moments away from becoming the first Galway side not to win this competition a week earlier in the drawn encounter, so they were under no illusions as to the challenges posed by a gritty and determined Ballyhaunis side desperate to create history. With ten minutes left in this bruising clash, the script hadn’t changed a whole lot.
Ahascragh/Fohenagh led by five, but Ballyhaunis were still competitive. They were relying on Keith Higgins’ frees to keep them within touching distance, however, as Ahascragh/Fohenagh had learned the lessons of the first day out and were now more commanding under the high ball having got their defensive match ups spot on.
The Mayo men needed goals to turn the tide, but it was Cathal Mannion who would strike to raise green flags, pouncing on defensive errors in the 50th and 54th minutes to put the contest to bed. The 2015 All Star is close to unstoppable at this level when in full flow, and he finished with a personal tally of 2-11, despite missing four of his first five attempts at the posts.
Crucially, though, Ahascragh/Fohenagh improved their chance conversion rate significantly after that early blip, keeping their wides tally in single digits and getting scores from eight different players in total. It was truly a team performance filled with workrate and application on all fronts, ensuring Ballyhaunis would have no opportunity to produce any late heroics.
Winning the toss and playing against the breeze that wasn’t as strong as in the drawn game gave Ahascragh/Fohenagh a chance to lay down a marker. Despite conceding two early scores to a Keith Higgins free and Adrian Phillips’ strike from play, they then did this by restricting Ballyhaunis to a single score in over 20 minutes of frenetic action.
After a Cathal Mannion free, Stephen Smyth struck a wonderful score from the right sideline on nine minutes to draw the sides’ level. Higgins converted another free for Ballyhaunis, but they were finding the Ahascragh/Fohenagh rearguard a tough nut to crack with Padraic Mannion revelling in the sweeper role along the half back line.
Full coverage in this week's Connacht Tribune