Knockmore top the group after hard fought win over Burrishoole
The battle for the top spot in group B was decided by an effective high press and huge workrate. In the first half. Knockmore’s high octance offensive machine was stunted by a superb defensive display from Burrishoole, but eventually, the North Mayo women edged this entertaining encounter on Saturday evening.
MAYO LGFA SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Knockmore 1-9
Burrishoole 1-6
In Parke
Both teams went into this game knowing, that the winner would top the group and avoid playing the winners of group A in the semi-final.
Knockmore had scored 9-26 in their first two group matches, and Amy O’Connor had been scoring almost at will. But Burrishoole put Mayo player Lucy Wallace on Knockmore’s lethal attacking weapon and Wallace did a superb job on O’Connor.
O’Connor had an incredible tally of 6-8 coming into Saturday’s game, but Wallace kept her scoreless for the entirety.
However, Burrishoole’s staunch defending only tells one half of the story. Knockmore pressed high on the Barony ladies’ kick-outs and gained plenty of turnover ball, winning almost all of them in the first half. Last year’s finalists knew all too well, that Burrishoole cannot be allowed to play the ball up into their dangerous forwards. The plan worked.
At half-time, Knockmore were 0-6 to 0-2 up as Burrishoole found it hard to work the ball up into the forwards.
However, the second half started with a bang. Burrishoole’s Maria Cannon played a brilliant ball inside to Leona Ryder, who kept left her defender behind her and buried the ball in the net. Suddenly, it was a one-point game.
Knockmore found the perfect answer just a minute later. The excellent Shauna Howley received the ball about ten metres out, swung around 180 degrees, to shake off her defender, and hammered it home.
Points from captain Lara Sweeney and Clodagh Keane extended Knockmore’s lead to 1-8 to 1-2. Burrishoole had come more alive by then though.
Cannon kept the Clew Bay women in the game, thanks to a ball boomed over from open play, a one-point free, followed by a two-point free.
To Knockmore’s credit, they shrewdly kept possession in the final minutes to take the heat out of it, and deservedly top the group. Burrishoole advance to the semi-final as well. Biggest scorer for Knockmore was Shauna Howley with 1-2.
The semi-final pairings aren’t decided yet. Westport play in Charlestown and Kilmovee Shamrocks play Castlebar on Sunday afternoon.
A full match report will be carried in Tuesday’s Mayo News.