WITH the exception perhaps of Claremorris, still seriously underachieving, calamity visited no club in the senior championship at the weekend.
Former title holders Ballintubber may have loosened their hold on Group 2, by bowing to genuine challengers Hollymount/Carramore, but the margin was sufficiently thin to suggest that the two will emerge to contest the quarter-finals in the fall.
Aghamore may not agree. Their sixteen-points victory over former champions Charlestown is that of a side rising in stature, and receiving the encouragement needed to take on the two sides favoured to qualify. On this performance the men from the east ought not to be treated lightly.
Nor was anyone surprised that Breaffy on their home turf overcame the challenge of Garrymore. You would not have bet on them at half-time.
The assertiveness of the men from the south unhinged the hosts in the first half and all their accumulated craft was summoned to finally shake off the challenge.
Two peculiar halves and a couple of great personal performances held the interest. Breaffy’s whirlwind start had them five points ahead without reply inside eight minutes. It included a goal by midfielder Robbie Fadden. But they advanced no farther for the remainder of the half.
Instead they drifted painfully, into a state of uncertainty, under severe pressure as Garrymore, inspired by the midfield performance of Shane Nally, took charge.
Breaffy started without their stellar midfielder Seamus O’Shea, nursing an injury on the sideline, and although Robbie Fadden and stand-in Brian Howley worked hard, Nally, tirelessly prompted Garrymore into stubborn resistance.
When his example was transmitted throughout the team, the visitors took on a serious edge. Veteran wing forward Jimmy Killeen revelled in the stream flowing his way, kicking four points and nudging them ahead at the interval.
We braced ourselves for a gigantic tussle after the break. What we got was a reversal of the last fifteen minutes with Breaffy, galvanised by the ageless Gerry Jennings, resuming their control of the opening minutes.
Aidan O’Shea, inevitably marked out for special treatment, still managed to cause panic in charging through the centre and was a major source of help in stemming the Garrymore tide in the final, hectic minutes. But Jennings, finding a new lease of life, was Breaffy’s chief motivator.
Surprisingly, Garrymore failed to score in the second half. The harder they tried the more frustrated they became and despite the efforts of Nally and Kieran and Brendan Cunningham, no flag of any sort was raised.
Breaffy had six points to spare at the end and as predicted are now favourites to claim a quarter-final spot. The outcome of the battle to join them from the group is not so clear-cut in the light of Davitts’ victory over Claremorris.
Mitchels still the team to beat
IN overwhelming Crossmolina, Castlebar Mitchels made a statement of intent: ‘the past is history, a county title has to be defended with the same passion and confidence with which it was won.’
They have set about that in fine style with nine of the side that started in the All-Ireland final displaying no ill-effects from the experience. Scarcely had the teams settled when Danny Kirby had the ball in the net.
The big man would follow up with another brace of goals, to the surprise, and obvious delight, of Mayo manager Stephen Rochford watching from the sideline. Maybe he, too, was making a statement.
Kirby was unlikely to have been dropped from the Mayo panel if he had shown similar flair in whatever trials were held by the manager. He is big and burly and pacey, but sometimes rudderless for the want of coaching it would seem.
In scoring those three goals his potential is obvious, but whether he fits into the manager’s plans is another matter. On Saturday’s form Kirby in the Mayo forward line would surely ease the pressure on Aidan O’Shea.
Crossmolina, with the wind, had their opening point in the fifth minute. By the time they snatched their second, Kirby had Castlebar ahead by seven. Under those lightning strikes Crossmolina withered, but gallantly fought on, and in the end forced Rory Byrne into a brilliant save.
They are for the most part a young side and in the Duffys — Stephen, Paul and Fionán — have potential leaders for the future. They lost their full-back, Mark Leonard, ten minutes from the end, for double yellow card offences, and neither the introduction of experienced defender Jonathan O’Boyle nor former Mayo star Peadar Gardiner brought about any improvement.
Donie Newcombe personified the Castlebar mind-set with a defensive performance as fiery as of old. His intent was tangible even to those of us who did not feel his crunching tackles. It conveyed a determination not to let the chance slip of another successful assault on the county and Connacht titles.
Most of the regulars who have taken a rest from their exertions last season are expected to return refreshed for the quarter-finals assuming the Mitchels qualify. The performance of their replacements last Sunday, especially Mark Towey, Keith Egan, James Durcan and David Stenson, carries a warning that the vacationers may struggle to reclaim their places.
Knockmore will be happy to have come out of Bangor with a draw. It has been the burial ground of many a dream, and they and Kiltane will now have high hopes of reaching the knockout stages.
Rossies back in action
ON Sunday Roscommon travel to Carrick-on-Shannon humbled by their experience in New York, but, ironically, perhaps more mentally prepared than they might have been for their joust with Leitrim.
It is fair to say that Leitrim are unlikely to provide another shock to their system and Roscommon will comfortably emerge to take on Sligo by whom they were humiliated last season.
All of those experiences will stand to Kevin McStay’s men as they grow in maturity and will have them well prepared for a Connacht final against either Mayo or Galway.
It helps neither Mayo nor Galway to reach a provincial final with such little preparation. Mayo do have their first taste of battle until Sunday week in Ruislip from which they are expected to emerge to meet Galway in the semi-final.
That is Galway’s first championship fixture this season and scarcely less than is necessary before taking on the Connacht champions.
Even so, they are waiting in the long grass ready to confound those who criticise them as a spent force this season. Let it be said once more: Galway are Galway and neither Mayo nor Roscommon can afford to dismiss them.
