Castlebar Mitchels 1-11
Ballintubber 1-5
Colm Gannon reports from Elverys MacHale Park
THE DEFENDING MAYO senior champions Castlebar Mitchels booked their place in next Saturday evenings county final against Knockmore with a six point win over Ballintubber in Elverys MacHale Park this afternoon.
Mitchels were led by full-forward Neil Douglas who kicked eight points over the hour, five of them from placed balls.
But Ballintubber will be very disappointed in their performance, where they only registered one score from play in the entire game, four minutes into injury time when Danny Geraghty found the back of the net for a consolation score.
All their other scores up to that point came from Cillian O’Connor frees.
Castlebar started the game in double quick fashion with Douglas kicking two fine points inside the opening minute, that was followed up by the score of the day from Cian Costello who spun his man out on the right wing before driving the ball over the bar on the three minute mark.
Castlebar had a goal chance 11 minutes in when Neil Lydon go it in behind the defence but he couldn’t finish to the net. Mitchels went four to the good with an other Douglas score straight after and he added another not long after.
Both sides picked up black cards midway through the half, with Aidan Walsh going for Castlebar and Damien Coleman for Ballintubber. Declan Larkin who replaced Colman picked up a black card himself not long from the end of the contest.
Cillian O’Connor finally registered a score for Ballintubber 22 minutes in, but Douglas replied for his side almost straight away.
O’Connor tagged on another and really should have cut the gap to three right before the break when he missed what looked simple free for a man of his abilities, sending Castlebar in leading 0-6 to 0-2 at the short whistle.
O’Connor did cut the gap to three right from the resumption from a dead ball, and with 49 minutes played there was just two in it as O’Connor tagged on two more frees with Douglas responding for his side.
But from then on in Castlebar put the foot down again and over the next five minutes they kicked three unaswered points through Dougals, Donnie Newcombe and Ray O’Malley.
Ballintubber had a great goal chance to pull it back to two, but Alan Plunkett put his effort past the post.
Castlebar went down the field and landed a three pointer of their own through sub David Stenson and that was it for Ballintubber as Castlebar march on to face Knockmore next Saturday night under lights in MacHale Park.
Scores for Castlebar Mitchels: Neil Douglas (0-8, 5f), David Stenson (1-0), Ray O’Malley (0-1), Donie Newcombe (0-1), Cian Costello (0-1).
Scores for Ballintubber: Cillian O’Connor (0-5, 5f), Danny Geraghty (1-0).
Castlebar Mitchels
1. Rory Byrne
2. Shane Irwin
3. Ger McDonagh
4. Donie Newcombe
5. Ray O’Malley
6. Eoghan O’Reilly
7. Paddy Durcan
8. Aidan Walsh
9. Barry Moran
10. Fergal Durkan
11. Cian Costello
12. James Durcan
13. Niall Lydon
14. Neil Douglas
15. Shane Hopkins
Subs: 22. Anthony O’Malley for Aidan Walsh ( 14, BC), 18. David Stenson for Niall Lydon (41), 20. Calum Kyne for James Durcan (54), 17. Ronan Burke for Shane Hopkins (59), 19. Danny Kirby for Cian Costello (61), 24. Johnny Maughan for Ger McDonagh (61)
Ballintubber
1. Frank Walsh
2. Gary Loftus
3. Brian Murphy
4. Myles Kelly
5. Michael Plunkett
6. Cathal Hallinan
7. Ruadhri O’Connor
8. Danny Geraghty
9. Jason Gibbons
10. Damien Coleman
11. Diarmuid O’Connor
12. Bryan Walsh
13. Damien McGing
14. Cillian O’Connor
15. Alan Plunkett
Subs: 20. Declan Larkin for Damien Coleman (19, BC), 17. Stephen Broderick for Damien McGing (HT), 26. Conor Finnerty for Declan Larkin (52, BC). 18. Joe Geraghty for Jason Gibbons (54, BS), 31. Jason Gibbons for Joe Geraghty (55, BS) 23. Padraic O’Connor for Alan Plunkett (57).