Davitts fight back to knock Mitchels off top spot with draw

MAYO SENIOR LEAGUE DIVISION 1A

Castlebar Mitchels 0-16

Davitts 1-13

In Castlebar

With time almost up, this game was on a knife-edge, and truth be told, had one last play been allowed, either side could’ve walked away from underneath the shadows of MacHale Park with the points in tow.

However, the brave battalions of both Mitchels and Davitts had to settle for a share of the league points after a tantalising and enthralling tie on Saturday evening.

If anyone has a right to rue letting victory slip, it’s the hosts. Twice, Kevin Filan’s men had the upper hand by the slimmest of margins with three minutes to go.

Two acts of ill-discipline when frees had already been given, handed referee Declan Corcoran ample opportunity to bring the ball forward to scoreable positions.

Both Dylan Gallagher and Shane Treacy, who scored nine of their side’s tally and were perennial dangermen throughout, duly obliged.

Let’s take nothing away from the visitors here. They showed hunger and skill in abundance, and could've made it out of the county town with their third win of the season against a side who went into the game as table toppers.

It was a real arm-wrestle between the two sides, and neither team managed to get a three-point lead at any stage.

Gallagher, who was part of the Mayo Under-20 panel, was tough to get to grips with for the Mitchels' defence. 

His effort from distance in the 39th minute was a seismic moment. Although it dropped short, midfielder Jack Melvin rose highest to flick the ball into the net and swing the pendulum in his side’s favour.

However, in the blink of an eye, Melvin’s midfield adversary, Anthony O’Boyle, was putting the ball between the sticks at the other end. The ability of Mitchels to always find a swift reply to any successful forays forward from their Davitts counterparts was a key reason the points were shared.

If Gallagher was hard to get to grips with, then his opposite number, Ethan Gibbons, was nigh-on impossible, and his two-pointer in the first half was a real highlight.

With the clock in the red, it seemed the hosts were about to sneak out the gate with a win. But, in a real display of a never-say-die attitude, Shane Treacy found a way to get the all-important balancing score, and ensure that Breaffy would end the day top of the league table following the dropped Mitchels point.

A full report will be carried in Tuesday’s edition of The Mayo News