Knockmore 2-11 

Garrymore 0-11 

Kevin Egan reports from the Connacht Centre of Excellence, Bekan.

REIGNING MAYO CHAMPIONS Knockmore survived a stern test of their championship credentials at the Connacht Centre of Excellence tonight, as they came back from four points down to Garrymore to secure a six-point win and a place in this year’s county final.

Garrymore were chasing a first county senior final appearance in nearly 40 years and it looked like their dreams might be about to come to fruition in the first half, as everything went their way. Despite playing into a fiercely strong breeze they played the much better, more controlled football, with Liam Óg Horkan doing a superb job in his man-on-man battle with Kevin McLoughlin at midfield.

Trevor Nally and Mark Tierney cancelled out early scores for Aidan Orme, Connell Dempsey and Pearse Ruttledge, before a trio of superb scores from Cathal Slattery gave the underdogs a really strong foothold in the game. Orme and Peter Naughton were causing problems on the ball and creating overlaps with their ability to beat a defender but the goal chances that came as a result seemed to fall to the wrong player or go astray, with corner back Seán Holmes in particular guilty of a poor miss in front of goal.

Free taking was another problem area for the champions, and an 0-8 to 0-4 half-time deficit suggested that a year of upsets in the Mayo championship was about to have yet another chapter added to the story.

The Knockmore bench was to have a significant impact however, as Charlie Bourke, Liam Durcan and Keith Ruttledge all helped to turn the tide of the game.

It took time – ten minutes into the second half the only scores were a point from Connell Dempsey, cancelled out by a mark from Tierney.

However the contest changed course when a high ball into the Garrymore box broke for Keith Ruttledge, who duly showed the composure and accuracy his colleagues failed to muster with their first half goal chances.

Liam Durcan followed up with an equaliser immediately, then confusion in the Garrymore defence led to Pearse Ruttledge adding a second goal with a soccer-style finish.

Suddenly, having controlled most of the game, Garrymore were on the back foot and they struggled to adjust, even after Dempsey was dismissed for a black card offence. Knockmore calmly and casually picked off scores on the break, while a series of Garrymore attacks came to nothing, the most glaring miss coming on the double from Liam Óg Horkan, who first blasted a shot straight at Colm Reape and then gathered the rebound off balance and fired wide with the goal at his mercy.

The gap was briefly reduced to four points before Keith Ruttledge and Dempsey clipped over injury time scores to confirm the win.

Scorers for Knockmore: Keith Ruttledge 1-2, Pearse Ruttledge 1-1, Connell Dempsey 0-3 (0-1f), Peter Naughton 0-2f, Liam Durcan 0-2, Aidan Orme 0-1f.

Scorers for Garrymore: Mark Tierney 0-3 (0-2f, 0-1m), Darren Quinn 0-3 (0-2f), Cathal Slattery 0-3, Trevor Nally 0-1, Paul Deeley 0-1f.

Knockmore

1 Colm Reape

2 Marcus Park
3 David McHale
4 Sean Holmes

5 Nathan Armstrong
6 Kieran King
7 Conor Flynn

9 Shane McHale
8 Kevin McLoughlin

10 Pearse Ruttledge
17 Adam Naughton
12 Connell Dempsey

14 Aidan Orme
30 James Ruddy
15 Peter Naughton

Subs:

13 Keith Ruttledge for Park (half-time)
24 Charlie Bourke for Naughton (half-time)
20 Liam Durcan for Ruddy (39 mins)
19 Sean Ruttledge for P Ruttledge (60 mins)

Garrymore  

1 Brian Lynskey

2 Jamie Oates
3 Kenneth Lydon
4 Justin Commins

5 Trevor Nally
6 Caolán Crowe
7 Enda Hession

10 Liam Óg Horkan
9 Gary Golden

20 Cathal Slattery
11 Paul Deeley
12 Shane Nally

13 Mark Tierney
8 David Dolan
14 Darren Quinn

Subs:

15 Enda Varley for Deeley (39 mins)
21 Michael Connolly for Tierney (52 mins)
23 Brendan Walsh for Commins (52 mins)
25 Patrick Hession for P Nally (55 mins)
22 Kieran Cunningham for Lydon (60 mins)

Referee: Jerome Henry