CASTLEBAR MITCHELS BRIDGED a 20-year gap since their last Mayo senior football title with a deserved success over neighbours Breaffy in today’s decider at Elverys MacHale Park in Castlebar.
After losing successive finals in 2010 and 2011 to Ballintubber, this was a sweet victory for a Castlebar Mitchels team who will now advance to a Connacht semi-final meeting with Galway’s Corofin.
The success was one to savor for Castlebar Mitchels Mayo panelists Tom Cunniffe, Barry Moran and Richie Feeney after the disappointment of September’s loss to Dublin.
But on the opposite side there was further disappointment on a final day in 2013 for Breaffy’s Robert Hennelly and the O’Shea brothers, Aidan and Seamus.
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Castlebar Mitchels took an early grip on this game and while they suffered the setback of Neil Douglas blasting a penalty wide, they did hit the net moments later when Danny Kirby bundled the ball to the net.
With Moran getting forward to land some inspirational points and man-of-the-match Tom King, who was a late inclusion in the starting team, also scoring regularly, the winners had surged into 1-6 to 0-4 lead by the interval.
Alan Durcan’s freetaking was a source of scores for Breaffy while Liam Irwin, an All-Ireland minor winner with Mayo this year, also chipped in with points.
They cut the gap to 1-7 to 0-7 by the 47th minute before Neil Douglas and Alan Durcan traded points.
But Breaffy were not to score again as Castlebar Mitchels closed out the match in style with some fine points from Shane Hopkins, Tom King and Neil Lydon.
Scorers for Castlebar Mitchels: Tom King 0-4 (0-2f), Danny Kirby 1-0, Barry Moran, Neil Lydon 0-2 each, Shane Hopkins, Neil Douglas, James Durcan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Breaffy: Alan Durcan 0-4 (0-4f), Liam Irwin 0-3 (0-1f), Seamus O’Shea 0-1.
CASTLEBAR MITCHELS: C Naughton; A Feeney, E O’Reilly, R O’Malle;y D Newcombe, T Cunniffe, P Durcan; D Kirby, B Moran; N Lydon, A Walsh, G McDonagh; J Durcan, N Douglas, R Feeney.
BREAFFY: R Hennelly; K Scahill, C Kelly, D Gavin; M Hall, M Jennings, B Howley; A O’Shea, S O’Shea; G Jennings, T O’Reilly, R Martyn; L Irwin, A Durcan, M McNicholas.
Castlebar claim Mayo senior football title for first time in 20 years
Castlebar Mitchels 1-11
Breaffy 0-8
CASTLEBAR MITCHELS BRIDGED a 20-year gap since their last Mayo senior football title with a deserved success over neighbours Breaffy in today’s decider at Elverys MacHale Park in Castlebar.
After losing successive finals in 2010 and 2011 to Ballintubber, this was a sweet victory for a Castlebar Mitchels team who will now advance to a Connacht semi-final meeting with Galway’s Corofin.
The success was one to savor for Castlebar Mitchels Mayo panelists Tom Cunniffe, Barry Moran and Richie Feeney after the disappointment of September’s loss to Dublin.
But on the opposite side there was further disappointment on a final day in 2013 for Breaffy’s Robert Hennelly and the O’Shea brothers, Aidan and Seamus.
Castlebar Mitchels took an early grip on this game and while they suffered the setback of Neil Douglas blasting a penalty wide, they did hit the net moments later when Danny Kirby bundled the ball to the net.
With Moran getting forward to land some inspirational points and man-of-the-match Tom King, who was a late inclusion in the starting team, also scoring regularly, the winners had surged into 1-6 to 0-4 lead by the interval.
Alan Durcan’s freetaking was a source of scores for Breaffy while Liam Irwin, an All-Ireland minor winner with Mayo this year, also chipped in with points.
They cut the gap to 1-7 to 0-7 by the 47th minute before Neil Douglas and Alan Durcan traded points.
But Breaffy were not to score again as Castlebar Mitchels closed out the match in style with some fine points from Shane Hopkins, Tom King and Neil Lydon.
Scorers for Castlebar Mitchels: Tom King 0-4 (0-2f), Danny Kirby 1-0, Barry Moran, Neil Lydon 0-2 each, Shane Hopkins, Neil Douglas, James Durcan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Breaffy: Alan Durcan 0-4 (0-4f), Liam Irwin 0-3 (0-1f), Seamus O’Shea 0-1.
CASTLEBAR MITCHELS: C Naughton; A Feeney, E O’Reilly, R O’Malle;y D Newcombe, T Cunniffe, P Durcan; D Kirby, B Moran; N Lydon, A Walsh, G McDonagh; J Durcan, N Douglas, R Feeney.
BREAFFY: R Hennelly; K Scahill, C Kelly, D Gavin; M Hall, M Jennings, B Howley; A O’Shea, S O’Shea; G Jennings, T O’Reilly, R Martyn; L Irwin, A Durcan, M McNicholas.
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Breaffy Castlebar Mitchels Club GAA County final Mayo Winning Feeling