Parke victory over Kilmaine not enough to prevent exit from Mayo intermediate championship

Mayo Intermediate Football Championship Round 3 

Parke/Keelogues/Crimlin 1-9

Kilmaine 0-8

Abbey Park

A win over Kilmaine wasn’t enough for Parke to get out of their championship group, as events in Knockmore conspired to confine the black and amber to a third-place finish. 

A draw between Kiltane and Ballinrobe meant that Parke exited the championship based on them losing their head-to-head against Kiltane a few weeks earlier.

The game itself was a hard-fought contest, played under relentless rain and strong winds at Abbey Park.

It seemed Kilmaine had a good early grip on the game, but Parke soon responded and did enough to take a 0-6 0-3 lead at the break. 

Parke started the second half brightly but struggled to create clear-cut chances. 

However, Fintan McHale’s men seized the key moment when teenager Dara Neary, showing maturity beyond his years, made a brilliant solo run, cutting through the Kilmaine defence.

In an act of selflessness, he passed to substitute Sean Sweeney, who calmly finished into the net, putting Parke six points clear.

The black and amber went 15 minutes without adding to their tally, but Kilmaine couldn’t capitalise on this drought. 

Parke’s defence held tight for a victory that proved meaningless once news broke that Kiltane had snatched a draw against Ballinrobe to secure second place in the group.

A full report will be carried in Tuesday's Mayo News.