Ballina clinch football title by single point
Portlaoise 2-8 Ballina Stephenites 1-12
Ballina's Brady bunch were to the fore at Croke Park this afternoon, as the Stephenites won their first ever AIB AlI-Ireland Club football title.
Full forward Liam Brady decided a titanic tussle in the end as he clipped over the winning point from a long-distance free, after Tommy Lyons' side had overcome a 0-06 to 1-05 half-time deficit.
Kevin Fitzpatrick's penalty goal on 15 minutes looked to have set up Portlaoise for a decent crack at their first All-Ireland win since 1983.
That gave them a 1-02 to 0-03 lead but Mayo brothers Liam - who had hit 0-05 in each of his three previous games - and David Brady bagged 0-05 between them to leave Ballina just two points in arrears at the interval.
Patrick McHale's neat pass allowed Stephen Hughes to blast the Mayo men back in front just a minute after the restart as he goaled following a David Brady point.
Nevertheless, the tie turned back towards the Leinster champions on 46 minutes as lynch-pin forward Colm Parkinson combined with Peter McNulty to send Fitzpatrick through for his second goal and a 2-07 to 1-09 advantage.
Ballina are made of sterner stuff and dispelled the disappointment of the county side's All-Ireland final loss to Kerry last September, as points from Liam Brady and Patrick Harte drew the westerners back level before the former kicked the winner on 58 minutes.
