PREVIEW: Mayo intermediate championship quarter-finals

The Mayo intermediate club championship never fails to throw up thrilling, unpredictable encounters and this weekend’s action should be no different. Predicting a winner is always difficult but almost impossible in this case. 

Davitts will have plenty to think about

DAVITTS V KILTANE    

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 3.45PM, BALLINDINE

Davitts were the only team to win every single group game in this year’s championship. 

Now a year older and wiser than the team that failed to escape their group last year, Liam Nyland’s boys have become men led by warriors. 

Warriors no less decorated than Colm Boyle, who’s still as good a club centre-back as there’s out there. His fellow veterans Ronan McNamara and Mickey Conroy don’t start, but are still options most intermediate teams would die for. 

With 3-14 and three Mayo News Man of the Match awards to his name, Dylan Gallagher would start for any of the remaining quarter-finalists. 

Their opponents, though written off many times before - including in these pages - will bring war to the Mayo-Galway border. 

Despite only scoring 2-33 in three games to make the quarter finals with a scoring difference of -5, you simply cannot write off Kiltane. 

Mikie Sweeney has made a quicker-than-expected recovery from injury for a side with a star in every line of the field. 

Depth is, and remains an issue for Packie Sweeney, but their starting 15 are good enough to give Davitts plenty to think about - just ask Ballinrobe. 

The border boys have enough steel and style to get the job done, but not by much. 

VERDICT: DAVITTS

Score-fest expected in Cong

THE NEALE V CROSSMOLINA 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 3.45PM, CONG

Two of the most marketable faces in Mayo football will go to battle by Lough Mask this weekend - but enough about John Maughan and Donal Costello. 

The hosts are no longer a one-man show. Their only Mayo senior, Tommy Conroy, is no longer even the star of the show. Enter Tom Lydon, the apprentice who has outscored his master 1-22 to 3-4 so far. 

No longer the pitiful, injury-ravaged side that crawled down from the senior ranks, The Neale showed great resilience to survive arguably the toughest of the four intermediate groups. 

They face a Crossmolina side with a deadly attack but a susceptible defence, one in which Mayo footballer Conor Loftus has become an unlikely mainstay. He’s not that badly missed up front. The jack-of-all-trades got a goal and a point against Louisburgh while sharks like James Maheady and Fionán Duffy will again be out for blood up front. 

With, by Duffy’s estimation, eight U-21s in their starting team, Crossmolina are a raw but dangerous prospect.

Don’t rule out this being the highest-scoring game of the weekend. 

VERDICT: CROSSMOLINA 

Ford’s men to awake from slumber

BALLINROBE V ARDNAREE SARSFIELDS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 6PM, BALLINROBE

MOMENTUM is a great thing. Ardnaree have it, and Ballinrobe don’t. 

Peter Ford’s men kicked an embarrassing number of wides against Kiltane and have yet to replicate the form that got them to last year’s county final. 

Of the four Ballinrobe men called up to the Mayo seniors this year, only Diarmuid Duffy has shown his true potential - even if he has been outshone at times by his older brother, Ewan. 

Aaron McDonnell has been solid in the backs, but full-forward Kevin Quinn has only scored six points in three games while James Murphy was hauled off against Kiltane. 

Ardnaree, for the first time since 2020, are in the quarter-finals of the Mayo intermediate championship - and not without merit. 

John Timlin and Jonathan Doherty are two of the tidiest players out there while scoring midfielder Séaghan Duffy and Adam Parsons are two formidable operators in the middle eight.

After ending Burrishoole’s campaign, Ardnaree know they can put it up to most opponents on their day. 

Ballinrobe will get through if they can finally deliver a performance to match their potential. 

But will they? 

VERDICT: BALLINROBE 

Coen’s loss is pivotal

MOY DAVITTS V HOLLYMOUNT CARRAMORE

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1PM, FOXFORD

This will be interesting. Hollymount-Carramore got out of their group without setting the world alight. 

Then again, it was always going to be tough without their chief arsonist Darren Coen, who looks set to miss this game through injury.

In his absence, Jack Keane, Dylan Jennings, Nathan Moran, Conor Heneghan and the Morris brothers stood out when the going got tough in the group stages. That said, ‘Holly-Carra’ will still be the underdogs against a team that pushed county champions Kilmeena to extra-time in last year’s semi-final. 

But then again, what are we actually to make of Moy Davitts? They scored more than any other team in the group stages (9-35), but only Kiltimagh and Burrishoole conceded more. 

Lahardane’s Shane Finnerty proved it only takes one tidy forward to put the Moysiders to the pin of their collars. 

How Stephen Coen and Co fare against a team potentially missing the injured Cian McHale but boasting forwards of the calibre of Brian Reape, Ronan Clarke and Brian Heneghan will prove pivotal.

Jack Keane and Mikey Sheridan versus Conor Reid and Ryan Kenny at midfield will be another battle well worth watching. 

One of numerous battles that will be worth watching this weekend. 

VERDICT: MOY DAVITTS 

MAYO INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIP RELEGATION PLAY-OFFS

Collins crew may have just enough

ISLANDEADY V LAHARDANE MACHALES

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 3.30PM, PARKE

Another close one. After a heroic defeat to Burrishoole and a valiant home win over Ardnaree, Islandeady can still put it up to anyone on their day. 

However, a humbling eleven-point loss to The Neale has seen Tony Collins’ men go from championship quarter-finalists to relegation semi-finalists in one year - such is life in the toughest club competition of them all. 

Lahardane were expected to struggle in a very tough group after coming up from junior. But, despite already being guaranteed to finish bottom of the table, the North Mayo men defied all expectations to draw with a Moy Davitts side long-touted as championship favourites.  

In Shane Finnerty, Lahardane have a forward that can hurt any intermediate team. But second half performances had been letting them down all year, as their manager Eddie Conroy told The Mayo News after the Moy Davitts game.

Islandeady can call upon the experience of Seamie Lally, Peter Collins, Darragh Joyce, Brendan Gibbons, Levi Barrett and ex-Mayo Minor Zak Collins to get the job done. 

VERDICT: ISLANDEADY

Well-balanced battle

KILTIMAGH V KILMAINE

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 3.30PM, CLAREMORRIS 

Kilmaine made light work of Kiltimagh in last year’s relegation semi-final. But bear in mind they had air support from AFL footballer Oisín Mullin, who was a class apart as Tom Flynn’s men dismissed Kilti’ on a score of 2-19 to 2-8. 

Despite clocking a scoring difference of -16 in another winless group campaign, Kiltimagh are much improved on the team that won just one game of football last year.

They’ve lost a truck load of players in recent years, but still have defenders who can defend and forwards who can score. Look no further than the Cosgraves, Cian Gallagher and Conor Malee if you’re looking for quality in this Kiltimagh side. 

Reflecting on their recent four-point loss to Castlebar Mitchels B, their manager Mick Regan said: “If we play like we did in the last 15 minutes there is no reason why we can’t be anybody.” 

Kilmaine are young and rambunctious, but far too dependent on Adam Barrett for scores. Out of a total of 1-31 in three games, the free-taking extraordinaire has contributed 0-16 from placed balls. 

This will be very tight, Unless the tanned buck with the ponytail makes an appearance. Then it’s Kilmaine’s to lose. 

VERDICT: KILMAINE