Castlebar Mitchels coming to the boil again

Castlebar coming to the boil again


SFC section 2
Castlebar 1-15
Aghamore 0-7

Sean Rice
Aghamore

A SERIES of rapid raids, which yielded 1-4 for Castlebar inside five minutes, dramatically changed the drift of a game that had seemed destined for a tight finish at Aghamore.
The Mitchels hit the purple patch early in the second half just after Aghamore had drawn level and were playing with a resolve that threatened to upset the expectations of the favourites.
Having struggled to break down Aghamore’s tough defensive screen in the first half, that decisive surge by the Mitchels was as surprising as it was unexpected. And when capped with a stunning goal by Aidan Walsh, the eastern lack of experience became cruelly exposed.
Eight minutes later they trailed by ten points, as all of Aghamore’s first half verve disappeared under a pile of relentless attacks, and all of the Mitchels’ forwards scored . . . five points tripping off the boot of the experienced Kevin Filan.
It was all so different before that. Tough, uncompromising exchanges yielded no score for the opening thirteen minutes. Aghamore’s Simon McGuinness and Liam Groarke were the first to dig out hard won points.
It could have been worse for Castlebar. A golden chance came Aghamore’s way eight minutes earlier. Goalkeeper Ciaran Naughton fouled Liam Groarke in the box . . . and promptly saved the penalty from the same player.
Under severe pressure in the opening twenty-one minutes, the Castlebar defence nevertheless held out; Richie Feeney, Eoin O’ Reilly, Adrian Roache and Pat Kelly resisting resolutely.  Danny Kirby eventually earned them a little relief with their first score of the game. Things evened out a little afterwards as half-backs, Donal Newcombe, and Ronan Burke found space on the wings, and Filan’s accuracy from frees began to pay off.
But although leading by four points to three at the interval, you would not have put your shirt on the county town men. And when McGuinness levelled up the scores three minutes after the break, nothing other than a grim struggle for survival seemed probable.
Change came suddenly when Filan, Walsh and Neil Douglas drilled over three points in as many minutes. Filan, their most experienced and most effective forward, led by example, and the whole team dramatically came to life.
By the 9th minute of the second half Aghamore had collapsed . . . killed off by Walsh’s goal. Eamon Kennedy, another sturdy evergreen, set up the move. Walsh thundering in from the right wing would have done well to fist a point, but his explosive shot rifled the net, and Castlebar were seven points ahead.
Direct play won them the early vital scores after the break. While Danny Kirby just about kept Castlebar’s midfield struggle alive throughout the first half, he and Shane Fitzmaurice owned the area after the break.
The attacking strategy of wing-backs Donal Newcombe and Ronan Burke, and the sweeping excellence of Pat Kelly in the centre covering every contingency, complemented midfield.
Liam Groarke, who scored four points, two from frees, posed the greatest danger to Castlebar in the first half. But in eventually snuffing out that threat, Eoin O’Reilly did an excellent job.
After gaining parity for the last time, Aghamore did not score again until the 48th minute when Cathal Carty drove over a 40-yards free. But by then, the Mitchels forwards were rampant . . . Filan, Walsh, Douglas and Barry Moran driving them on.
Cathal Carty fought hard to restore some semblance of Aghamore’s first half aggression, but when he eventually did break through the defence, Naughton in goal denied him with a daring save.
The loss of centre-half back Risteard Byrne early in the game was a big blow to their hopes, and while Colm Caulfield, Sean Og Robinson, Simon McGuinness, Cathal Carty and Groarke had the muscle to mix it with Castlebar, they were lacking organisation and structure.

Castlebar
C Naughton; E O’Reilly, R Feeney, A Roache; D Newcombe, P Kelly, R Burke; S Fitzmaurice, D Kirby (0-1); E Kennedy (0-1), A Walsh (1-3), T Cunniffe (0-1); N Douglas (0-1), B Moran (0-1), K Filan (0-7, 3fs).
Subs used: E Tiernan for Kirby; G McDonagh for Kennedy; B Hennelly for Reilly; D Sloyan for Fitzmaurice; F Durkan for Douglas.

Aghamore
N Walsh; M Morley, C Caulfield, P Bonner; N Freeman, R Byrne, C Garvey; S Og Robinson, C Forde; D Kilkenny, S McGuinness (0-2), I Carty; L Groarke (0-4, 2fs) C Carty (1f), K Feeney.
Subs used: R Lyons for Byrne; P Hunt for Robinson.

Referee: J Hughes (Kilmaine)