Joy as Westport dig deep to defend Mayo championship title

LGFA - MAYO SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Westport 1-13

Knockmore 1-10

In Castlebar

On a crisp autumn afternoon in Mayo's great footballing cathedral, two sides steeped in pride, passion, and power met in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park for the county’s showpiece day.

Westport and Knockmore brought the heat to the turf, igniting a contest that embodied everything brilliant about football in this part of the world: intensity, flair and a refusal to yield.

In a red-hot decider which showed no lack of tension, drama, and physicality from first second to last, the 2024 champions emerged from the fire with their Mayo title firmly still in their grasp, but not without one hell of a battle.

When the reigning, defending queens in the sky blue corner pulled five ahead with just minutes to go, having flipped the half-time script and eroded Knockmore’s seven-point advantage at the break, many would have been forgiven for thinking the location of the Jimmy Corbett Perpetual Cup was sealed.

Then, the Saffron and Blue clicked again. They threw heaven and earth at the leaders and injected late jeopardy. Lara Sweeney sent over two points, and Shauna Howley went on a one-woman mission to rattle the net, and almost succeeded.

However, in a sign of true champions, Westport battened down the hatches, held their composure, and ensured that Janette O’Malley would be the one walking up those 32 steps in the main stand of MacHale Park and hoisting the glittering trophy aloft.

For Knockmore, it was heartache. They showed so much of what they were capable of in the first half, and Amy O'Connor's beautiful strike exemplified their top form. Even so, they were left forlorn and watching on as Westport yet again lived their dreams.

Westport will go on to fly the flag in Connacht, while Knockmore will spend another winter wondering what might have been.

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