Castlebar Mitchels blast past Ballintubber in opening round of the league

MAYO SENIOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE 

Castlebar Mitchels 4-13

Ballintubber 1-4

In Castlebar

THERE have been many memorable battles between these great rivals over the years. This wasn't one of them! Mitchels were utterly dominant and the gap could have been wider at the end if the home side had been more clinical in front of goal.

In truth, Ballintubber won't panic after this. It was the first game of a long season and the Abbeysiders are experienced enough to hold their nerve, but they won't be happy with the margin of defeat to their neighbours in front of a big crowd.

Mitchels had Mayo senior squad member John MacMonagle playing at centre-half-back and he was excellent - driving forward, kicking the ball well and landing three points. 

It took the home side a little time to get into their rhythm but they were well in charge by half-time, leading 1-8 to 0-2. At that stage they had also left three goal chances behind them as Ballintubber found it hard to get a foothold.

Eoghan Hughes, Ethan Gibbons and Calum Filan were causing all sorts of trouble in attack while young corner-back Brian McDonnell and midfielders Brendan Gaughan and Conor Stenson were prominent.

The opening goal had arrived after 25 minutes when Filan found the net after Rory Byrne's long-range free dropped in the square and the home side were sitting pretty at the break.

The second half was even more lop-sided. Tiernan Brady popped a point for Ballintubber and Jack Prendergast, Brendan Walsh and Stephen Burke were among the guests to catch the eye, but Castlebar were dominant. Stenson crashed home a goal early in the half, Shane Cunningham added another at the start of the final quarter as wing-back Fintan Borotto excelled at both ends of the pitch.

Ballintubber never stopped trying and were admirable in their approach, but they found the going tough. Prendergast landed a late point and Brady cracked home a goal in injury-time, but Mitchels had the last say when Eoghan Hughes almost took the net off with a screamer to bring the curtain down on a fine evening for the men from Josie Munnelly Park.