Mayo club championship gets down to serious business

Club championship gets down to serious business


Mike Finnerty

THE draw for the quarter-finals of the Mayo Senior, Intermediate and Junior club football championships are expected to take place tomorrow evening (Wednesday) at MacHale Park, Castlebar.
The third round of the competitions concluded last weekend with Aghamore’s win over Claremorris at home propelling Jimmy Lyons’ team into the last eight of the County Senior Championship for the first time in more than 25 years.
Ballintubber, Ballaghaderreen and Charlestown also booked their places in the knockout stages, joining Castlebar Mitchels, Knockmore, Garrymore and Breaffy who had already qualified after round two.
Group winners will now play second-placed teams in the quarter-final matches.
These games are due to be played on the weekend of August 9/10 but it seems almost certain that the Senior Championship quarter-finals will be postponed should Mayo beat Cork in Sunday week’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-final.
The SFC relegation play-offs will see Crossmolina, Kiltane, Westport and Ballina Stephenites play off to see which team drops to the Intermediate ranks in 2015.

INTERMEDIATE
LAST year’s beaten finalists Kilmaine, their South Mayo neighbours Hollymount/Carramore and Mayo Gaels, and Kiltimagh emerged as the group winners in the Mayo Intermediate Championship after a dramatic weekend of third round games.
They will be joined in the last eight by Ballyhaunis, The Neale, Swinford and Belmullet who all got the wins they needed to ensure their safe passage to the knockout stages.
The IFC quarter-finals will almost certainly be played on the weekend of August 9/10.
Tourmakeady, Killala, Cill ChomΡin and Islandeady ended up in the relegation play-off places.

JUNIOR
THERE was no missing the big story in the Mayo Junior Championship last weekend as Ardagh knocked big guns Ardnaree out of the competition — and topped the group themselves in the process.
A late, late James Carr goal saw Ardagh win the North Mayo derby by 2-12 to 2-8 and seal a famous and historic win for the club.
Ardnaree, who had lost four of the last five County Junior Finals, were without some key men and were left stunned by this shock defeat. However, Ardagh were full value for their win and will feel they have nothing to lose from here on in.
Lahardane, Castlebar B and Achill were the other group winners with Balla, Louisburgh, Charlestown B and Crossmolina B filling the runners-up spots.
The Junior Championship quarter-finals will also be played on the weekend of August 9/10.