Mighty Mitchels are kings of Mayo again after dominant county final display

MAYO SENIOR FOOTBALL FINAL

Castlebar Mitchels 1-17

Garrymore 0-12

In Castlebar

The talent, teamwork and tenacity of Castlebar Mitchels powered them to a deserved county title in MacHale Park on Sunday evening.

The young men in yellow and red were clear and deserving winners against a Garrymore side who never found their groove in their first final in an age.

Castlebar bossed the first 30 minutes. The town team were utterly dominant for long periods as Garrymore tried and failed to make an impression. The men from South Mayo looked lethargic at times as the Mitchels played with much more intensity and drive.

Bob Tuohy lorded the skies in the middle as his colleagues won evey battle for long periods of the opening half. Mitchels played into the wind from the start but made little of it and were seven clear after 17 minutes as Garrymore failed to raise a flag.

Joe Forry, Cian Walsh and Neil Douglas were causing all sorts of problems for their markers and at the other end, Sean Morahan, Donnacha McHugh and Joe Turohy were almost unbeatable at times.

Liam Óg Horkan tried to raise the Garrymore spirits with some dogged tackling and powerful bursts from the back, but their approach play was slow and gave Castlebar oodles of time to mass in front of them and tackle ferociously.

Aaron Hughes eventually got the scoreboard moving for Fintan Forde and Tony Corcoran's side, when he landed a two-pointer after 22 minutes but Morahan ran 60 yards to reply with a classy point just moments later.

Castlebar's tactic of using the width of the pitch to attack was dragging Garrymore hither and tither and with Anthony O'Boyle, Shane Cunningham and hugely impressive team captain John MacMonagle winning breaks, they looked untroubled.

There was a chink of light just before the break when Cathal Slattery ran in from the right for Garrymore but the swarming Mitchels defenders got back to prevent a goal that the chasers craved.

They did, however, end the half with a two-pointer from the tireless Trevor Nally to leave five between them at the break, 0-4 to 0-9.

Eoin McGreal brought it back to four in the first breaths of the second period, but any prospect of building momentum was dimmed when Tuohy pointed again and Paddy Durcan landed a two-pointer from way out on the left.

Garrymore needed a goal to lift them but Shane Nally's drive cleared the bar after Caolan Crowe knocked a big ball down in the square. However, when McGreal landed a two-pointer from the right wing and Crowe raised a white flag the gap was suddenly down to three at the start of the final quarter.

The prospect of a Garrymore revival was very real at that stage, but Mitchels were having none of it. Rory Bryne was excellent between the sticks and they swarmed forward for Durcan to slalom through for Tuohy to send a rasper just over the crossbar.

Darren Quinn never stopped looking for scores at the other end and Crowe had a goalbound shot smothered by MacMonagle and McHugh.

However, the result was well and truly decided after 50 minutes when Forry bent over a two-point free from under the stand. It was a stunning strike and got the Mitchels five clear again and settled. That inspired the men seaching for the 32nd title and closing scores from the tireless Ultan O'Reilly, and Eoghan Hughes were augmented by a well-struck penalty from Walsh.

The spot kick was earned by team captain John MacMonagle who ran through in the dying moments. It was a fitting cap on his excellent leadership all season.

After the final whistle the Mitchels rejoiced as the Moclair Cup made the short journey across the road to where it will sit for the next 12 months.