We left ourselves with too much work to do with a very poor opening 25 minutes of our top of the table clash with Garrymore this evening.

At that stage we were 9 down and should have been more save for bad shooting by Garrymore. From there on in we more than matched our opponents and with a bit of luck could have got something out of the game.

Four points in the last five minutes of the half from Kevin McShea, James Sweeney, Gerry Callaghan and Pearse Walsh brought the deficit back to 5 at the break.

Garrymore extended it after the restart but points from James Sweeney and Gerry Callaghan kept us in the game. It was our turn to have some poor wides and a ball off the crossbar which could have narrowed the gap further.

Both teams swapped two points to keep it at 4 points with ours coming from a Kevin McDonagh free and one from play. James Sweeney got another to bring us within three but that was as close as we got as we again swapped points to end the game Swinford 0-10 Garrymore 0-13.

We are now in third spot behind Garrymore and Ballina  entering the last round of games on the 25th September. We are home to Aghamore while Ballina and Garrymore are home to Kilmovee and Westport respectively.

Swinford Damien Geraghty, John Gerard Kelly, Paul McDonagh, Aiden McLoughlin, Mark McNicholas, Kevin Barry, Stephen Walsh, Gerry Callaghan, Barry Brennan, James Sweeney, Danny McNicholas, Darren Campbell, Kevin McShea, Adrian Forkan. Suns James Lavin, Pearse Walsh, Kevin McDonagh, Cillian O’Donnell, JP Broderick

Scorers: James Sweeney, Kevin McDonagh 0-3, Gerry Callaghan 0-2, Kevin McShea, Pearse Walsh 0-1

On a beautiful early afternoon in Knockmore Swinford took on the unbeaten Ballina Stephenites in a top of the table clash in Division 1E.

The game was delayed as we waited for the referee to arrive by half an hour but this did not unsettle either team who provided great entertainment for the few fans who travelled.

As the writer has stated here on many occasions the club is the back bone of the GAA and deserves as much if not more support then the county team.

Ballina started off the stronger team and got the first two points of the game before Pearse Walsh got Swinford off the mark. That did not halt Ballina who rattled off the next three points to give them a four point lead after 13 minutes.

Pearse Walsh got his second of the game before Ballina rules it out with their sixth point. For thenext ten minutes Swinford took over the game starting with a fine goal from Kevin McShea assisted by a great knock done by JP Broderick. The two men then kicked individual frees to put Swinford in the lead, which was extended by a great point by substitute Jason McLoughlin.

The half time whistle came at the wrong time as Swinford pushed to extend the lead but after a very poor first 20 minutes it was a well earned break on a score of Ballina 0-6 Swinford 1-5.

Swinford started the second half as they ended the first with an initial wide before some great defensive work by Jason McLoughlin led to a turnover and Kevin McShea put over a point from out on the right. The lead should have been further extended but for two wides.

It was the 11th minute before Ballina scored their opening point of the half, with a free, well over twenty minutes since their last score. They soon narrowed the gap with an another point from a free before Kevin McDonagh got a point with a volley over the bar. Another free by Ballina brought it back to a one point game before a fine move up the field ended with a point by JP Broderick.

Ballina got the next two scores and the game was level with just over ten minutes left. Darren Campbell kicked a free to put Swinford back ahead before two points for Ballina put them one ahead with the game entering injury time.

This Swinford team has shown time after time this season that they play to the full time whistle. A high ball was kicked into the melting pot and Kevin McShea used all of his height advantage to punch the ball into the corner of the goal, giving the Ballina keeper no chance.

There was still time for one more Ballina attack which was snuffed out by the old head of Paul McDonagh at full back.

The final whistle saw a scoreline of Ballina 0-13 Swinford 2-9

It was a deserved win in front of about a dozen supporters by a team that is playing very well together. Well done to one and all and to the management team of Billy McNicholas, Tommy Feeney and Michael Lenehan.

With two games left we are joint top of the table with Garrymore with Ballina two points behind with a game in hand. Everything to be played for in the upcoming games against Aghamore and Garrymore.

Swinford: Damien Geraghty, Aiden McLoughlin, Paul McDonagh, John Gerard Kelly, Mark McNicholas, Kevin Barry, Joshua Smith, Gerry Callaghan, Pearse Walsh, Kevin McDonagh, James Sweeney, James Lavin, JP Broderick, Kevin McShea, Darren Campbell. Subs Jason McLoughlin. Unused Sub Gavin Moore

Scorers: Kevin McShea 2-2, Pearse Walsh, JP Broderick 0-2, Jason McLoughlin, Kevin McDonagh, Darren Campbell 0-1