Ballintubber best Claremorris to top Mayo Club Championship group

GAA - MAYO SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Claremorris 1-10

Ballintubber 0-15

In Claremorris

Ballintubber are sitting pretty at the top of Group Three of the Mayo Football Championship.

They had to withstand a late Claremorris fightback in which Michael Plunkett produced a save that German goalkeeping great Manuel Neuer would have been proud of to deny Darragh Beirne, but they weathered the storm, leaving the hosts crestfallen.

Bryan Murphy’s effort got the ball rolling for ‘Tubber as it dipped over the crossbar, and their lead was doubled when Stephen O’Malley was fed by Gavin.

Paul Gilmore drew a foul, offering Darragh Beirne a handy enough chance to get things grooving for Claremorris, and they almost had the game’s first goal, as Niall Hurley sold about three defenders before his effort came clattering off the post.

Had this year’s under-20 forward, Beirne, been a millisecond quicker with his reactions, Brendan Walsh’s net surely would have been breached.

Jason Gildea was upended at the other end just under the stand, and Gavin obliged with his first two-pointer of the day. Another soon followed from a placed ball, with Niall Hurley’s free sandwiched in between after Darragh Beirne fed the wily corner-forward.

While Kevin Beirne’s troops had their fair share of possession, they struggled to pose serious questions of a Ballintubber rearguard with Diarmuid O’Connor in the heart of it.

At the other end, the 2019 kings were in fine fettle, and Bryan Walsh’s curling effort just outside the Claremorris defensive screen was classy and pushed the gap out to five.

Gavin once again showed his accuracy with a point on the top of the small D, but on the stroke of half-time, flame-haired attacker Beirne pulled it back to five.

There were nerves aplenty at half-time, as Claremorris' hopes hung dangerously in the balance. Paul Gilmore’s single had the chasm narrowed to four.

However, a trio of white flags from Plunkett, Noel Geraghty, and the dangerman Gavin pulled ‘Tubber away, who were shining despite the fact that Cillian O’Connor was being well-marshalled.

Ballintubber weren’t spectacular in the second half, but they didn’t need to be. All they needed to do was frustrate and restrict Claremorris, and they succeeded with both objectives.

After 39 minutes Darragh Joyce fed his namesake Cathal, the hosts looked primed to find the net, but a combination of Walsh and Finian Burke did enough to deflect behind.

Cathal Joyce bisected the uprights to end a bit of a drought, but Jason Gibbons went straight up the other end to keep Ballintubber ahead of a side who were too passive at times.

A bit of spice was injected into the tie with five minutes to go, when Liam Walsh brought it back to four and gave Ballintubber something to worry about.

If Beirne had been able to palm home a goal soon after, there really would have been a grandstand finish, but Plukett’s fingertip save would almost have Andy Moran, who was among the interested spectators, considering giving him a chance between the sticks.

However, ‘Tubber held on, and Cathal Joyce’s fine two-pointer was merely a footnote and added some gloss to the scoreline for the hosts

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