Ballina Town retained the Connacht Gold Super Cup title with a convincing 4-0 win over Castlebar Celtic at Solar 21 Park last weekend.
Ballina were well on top for the majority of the game but the outcome could have been different, had Liam Flatley taken the first real chance of the game when he headed wide from just six yards out as he got on the end of a cross from Jason Hunt after sixteen minutes.
Jamie Cawley was causing all sorts of problems down the left wing for Celtic and his low cross five minutes later went right across the box, but David O'Mahony failed to hit the back of the net. But Ballina did not have to wait too long to break the dead lock when two minutes later the opening goal arrived, as O’Mahony headed home Dylan Edward's corner at the near post.
The same two players combined again ten minutes before the break, when Ballina doubled their lead. Edwards was again the provider, as his excellent pin point cross from the left wing was headed home by O’Mahony from six yards out, leaving Stephen Cafferkey with no chance in the Celtic goal.
After the break, Ballina stood strong as Celtic upped the pace a little, but they always looked dangerous on the break and were unlucky not to get a third goal, when Fabiano Macario volleyed over as he got on the end of a cross from Jamie Cawley.
Jose Sola then went close for Celtic, as his shot from the left wing was well saved by Mark Duffy. Benny Lavelle, who replaced the injured O’Mahony, almost immediately had a chance to seal the win, but his low shot was well saved by Cafferkey.
Jamie Cawley did make it 3-0 as he calmly rounded Cafferkey to finish the ball to an empty net, after some good work down the right wing by Fabiano Macario and man of the match, Dylan Edwards.
Cafferkey then made another top class save as he thwarted Dylan McKee, who was put through on goal by another superb pass from Edwards. Benny Lavelle then wrapped up the scoring as he curled the ball into the top right hand corner of the net from the penalty spot, after Cawley laid off a pass to him from the left hand wing.
