Castlebar Mitchels 1-11
Garrymore 1-11
DEFENDING MAYO CHAMPIONS Castlebar Mitchels will have to win a replay — expected to take place this Wednesday night — if they are they are to make it three Mayo senior titles in a row this year.
Three minutes into injury time, Garrymore’s Jimmy Killeen showed nerves of steel to fire over a free from tight on the right hand side and level the game up with the very last kick of the game at the end of a pulsating encounter.
Danny Kirby rattled the net 20 seconds into the second half after Mitchels won the throw-in and it was worked down field at pace before Kirby hammered it to net from close range. That goal put Mitchels 1-7 to 0-4 in front and well in control of the game, or so it seemed.
Garrymore responded through a Jimmy Killeen free to cut the gap back to five, but Mitchels edged in front again through a David Stenson free shortly afterwards. Killeen hit his third of the day to keep the south Mayo men in touch with the three-in-a-row chasing county town men.
Garrymore cut the gap back to four with a well taken Micheal Connolly score on 38 minutes as they looked to chase down Mitchels lead. On 44 minutes they put themselves right back in it when Cathal Slattery slipped the ball under Rory Byrne after being played in by Myles Fallon to put just one between the sides. Two minutes later Fallon turned provider again with a brilliant long-range pass to Mark Tierney who rode a hard tackle from Eoghan O’Reilly before he fisted it over the bar to level it up at 1-8 each with a quarter of the game to go.
Garrymore had another goal chance with 10 minutes to go, but Rory Byrne pulled off a fine save to deny Trevor Nally after Cathal Slattery had intercepted a stray kick out.
But it was Mitchels who struck next with Donie Newcombe and then Neil Douglas putting their side back in front by two, with seven to go.
David Stenson then put three between the sides and Mitchels almost made it safe with a goal chance that was cleared off the line by Garrymore defence Michael Connolly. Darren Quinn cut it back to just two points once more with a well taken effort with four minutes left not the clock and it was all to play for again. Shane Nally cut the gab to the bare minimum with a free from out beyond the 45m line with just over a minute to go, but there was more drama to come.
Scorers for Castlebar Mitchels: David Stenson (0-3, 2f) Danny Kirby (1-0), Neil Douglas (0-2), Johnny Maughan, Ger McDonagh, Donie Newcombe, Barry Moran, Cian Costello, James Durcan (0-1).
Scorers for Garrymore: Jimmy Killeen (0-4), Cathal Slattery (1-0), Mark Tierney (0-2, 1f), Shane Nally (0-2, 1f), James King (0-1), Michael Connolly (0-1), Darren Quinn (0-1).
Castlebar Mitchels
1. Rory Byrne
2. Johnny Maughan
3. Ger McDonagh
4. Donie Newcombe
5. Ray O’Malley
6. Paddy Durcan
7. Niall McCarney
8. Danny Kirby
9. Eoghan O’Reilly
20. James Durcan
11. Barry Moran
12. Cian Costello
13. David Stenson
14. Neil Douglas
15. Shane Hopkins
Subs:
19. Aidan Walsh for Hopkins
10. Anthony O’Boyle for Moran
Garrymore
1. Brian Lynskey
2. James King
3. Jamie Oates
4. Patrick Hession
5. Trevor Nally
6. Kieran Cunningham
7. Micheal Connolly
8. Brendan Cunningham
9. Shane Nally
10. Gary Golden
11. Caolan Crowe
22. Cathal Slattery
13. Jimmy Killeen
14. Myles Fallon
15. Mark Tierney
Subs:
12. Darren Quinn for Fallon (BS)
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