Knockmore 2-11

Ballintubber 0-12

CHAMPIONS BALLINTUBBER WERE seen as still being the team to beat as they pursued a third Mayo Senior Football Championship title on the spin but Knockmore were up to the task on Saturday evening as they ran out five-point victors at MacHale Park.

Two brilliant goals by Darren McHale — the first following a glorious team move — proved crucial as Knockmore saw off the bookies’ favourites for the Moclair Cup.

Full-Time Highlights of Ballintubber v Knockmore in the Mayo Senior Football Championship, watch it here on GAA NOW. pic.twitter.com/poPkSX0XLm

— The GAA (@officialgaa) August 29, 2020

Through that first McHale finish, Knockmore led by a single score at half-time — 1-5 to 0-7 — but they made use of a strong wind advantage in the second half to stretch their advantage.

Just six years ago, Ballintubber put nine goals past Knockmore in a championship fixture at the same ground, running out 9-11 to 2-12 victors. Ballintubber have won three county titles in those intervening six years, but a youthful Knockmore outfit simply had too much for them today.

Breaffy 4-16

Ballaghaderreen 3-6

In today’s other Mayo SFC quarter-final, Breaffy saw off Ballaghaderreen in a seven-goal thriller which saw the victors pull away with their opposition reduced to 14 men for over half of the contest.

Full-Time Highlights of Ballaghaderreen v Breaffy in the Mayo Senior Football Championship, watch it here on GAANOW. pic.twitter.com/jSB9et9qJK

— The GAA (@officialgaa) August 29, 2020

Aidan O’Shea scored Breaffy’s first goal of four and, during his celebration, paid tribute to Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, the 43-year-old actor who passed away yesterday. Matthew Ruane, Conor O’Shea and Daire Morrin also found the net.

Andy Moran — who later appeared to mock his former Mayo team-mate’s perceived overreactions to physical challenges during a skirmish — scored the game’s opening goal, this before his Ballagh side had yet registered a point.

Indeed, they notched three inside the opening 20 minutes, Thomas Carmody and Kuba Callaghan firing Ballagh into a six-point lead despite O’Shea’s early reply for Breaffy.

Ha ha ha. Was Andy Moran taking the p*ss out of Aidan O'Shea's ability to - ahem - win a free ?? pic.twitter.com/5GZXP06xwf

— dontfoul (@dontfoul) August 29, 2020

Ballagh’s lead was down to four at the break, but the first half had come at a serious cost: they lost David Drake to injury early doors and, with half-time approaching, Cian Hanley — who had teed up Moran’s goal with a wonderful run and hand-pass — received a second yellow in contentious circumstances which left them with significant work to do if they were going to protect their lead.

Breaffy turned the tide instead, powering back and using their man advantage to devastating effect, eventually running out 13-point winners in a game which for the majority of it felt much closer.