Battle of Breaffy ends in stalemate as home side refuse to yield

MAYO SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Breaffy 0-12

Castlebar Mitchels 0-12

In Breaffy

IT wasn't the greatest game ever played. It wasn't an evening packed with thrills and spills, but championship is all about results and that's what Friday night's clash in Breaffy delivered. It promised much – a meeting between town and country; red and blue, but in the end there was no separating these closest of neighbours.

Mitchels were visibly distressed after the final whistle – firmly believing that the decision to award Breaffy a late free which leveled the scores, was incorrect. It was just one of the talking points which will be discussed in and around Castlebar on the long winter nights awaiting us.

The first half was a battle of wills and although Breaffy started well, they trailed by two at the break as Mitchels enjoyed a 0-7 to 0-5 lead.

Matthew Ruane started the match for Breaffy but he seemed to be hampered by injury from early on. Mitchels were equally impacted with Mayo defender Donnacha McHugh starting but being withdrawn at half time.

Breaffy started with points from Aidan Cunningham and Liam Irwin but Castlebar were soon two clear after singles from Sean Morahan and Anthony O'Boyle and a two-pointer from Rory Byrne. Mitchels looked faster and more direct in attack but the guests were missing chances despite the best efforts of James Durcan and Mark Cunningham, while John MacMonagle's tackling at the back certainly caught the eye.

Jack Livingstone drilled over a '45 for Breaffy but when Bob Tuohy and Cian Walsh found the range at the other end, the visitors were 0-7 to 0-3 clear.

Breaffy needed a response and got it when Pierce Deane kicked a difficult free from the left wing. That settled the home side and when Aidan O'Shea burst through tackles to raise a white flag just before half-time the gap was back to two.

Deane closed the gap to one early in the new half, but chances were being missed at both ends and the pressure and tension was growing with every passing moment. Breaffy will rue the fact that four two-point frees failed to find the target over the course of the evening.

Joe Forry bucked the trend with a fine point from the right for Mitchels but home cheers nearly cracked the sky when Conor O'Shea leveled the game with a two-pointer after 37 minutes.

Mitchels edged clear again when James Durcan split the sticks following fine play from Sean Morahan and Paddy Durcan, but Breaffy were impressively grinding away around the middle and the home side never panicked.

Deane kicked another classy free from the left and when Oisin Tunney ran down the right and punched over the bar, the men in blue were a point in front.

However, they couldn't pull away and when Paddy Heneghan and James Durcan found the range at the other end, the Castlebar men were one up as time ticked away. Once again, Deane balanced the scores as Breaffy refused to be beaten but when Cian Walsh wheeled away after putting Mitchels in front with two minutes to play, it seemed as if they would get the win they so badly needed.

Then, Breaffy's goal chance arrived. A big ball into the Castlebar goalmouth was spilled and Aidan O'Shea grabbed it and shot for the net. However, he was forced to hit it with his right foot and the connection was poor which allowed Tomas Waldron take it off the line.

It seemed as if Mitchels would hold on, but Breaffy came again. A mass of bodies fought for the ball in front of the posts and when James Durcan emerged with it, the Mitchels supporters roared but the referee said he had picked it off the ground and Deane made no mistake from the subsequent free.

Castlebar went down the pitch looking to find one more point before the end, but the final whistle stopped their gallop and the game ended in a draw which leaves both teams still in the running but Mitchels must rely on other results to keep them in the championship.