With the curtain coming down on the inter-county season last weekend in the men's game, the attention on the Gaelic football scene will be focusing firmly back on the local club season in the coming weeks, with the return of the club championships coming up in the near future.
This weekend will see round eight in the senior football leagues in the top two divisions taking place. In the top flight at the minute, Knockmore and Garrymore are out in front with six wins from their seven league games played to date. There has been just one round of action in the league since mid-May due to Mayo's involvement in the championship - that took place over the weekend of July 27/28.
In that round Knockmore had a big 4-12 to 1-10 win on the road to Westport, they will be back on the road again this weekend when they travel to take on a Claremorris side who are sitting in fifth place in the division, with two wins, three draws and two losses to their name so far this season. In their last outing Claremorris fell to a 0-12 to 1-15 defeat to Castlebar Mitchels.
The aforementioned county town outfit will be looking to join Garrymore on 12 points in the table when they host the south Mayo men on Saturday evening - it will be Garrymore's second league game in a row against West Mayo opposition - having lost to Ballintubber by three points on a score of 0-12 to 0-9 away from home in the last round, that being the first points they dropped in the league so far this season.
The 'Tubber will host Kiltimagh in Ballintubber in their game, the east Mayo men were beaten 1-11 to 0-11 by local rivals Aghamore in their previous game. That was Aghamore's fourth league win of the season and they will go looking for win number five when they host Hollymount-Carramore, the south Mayo amalgamation are currently sitting on four points alongside Ballina Stephenites and Ballaghaderreen at the foot of the table and will be looking to pull together a few wins over their next few league outings as they look to avoid the drop to division two for next season.
Ballina Stephenites will host Ballaghaderren this weekend with a win for either side seeing them pull away from the other one and moving a step away from the relegation zone. The final game in the top flight is an all West Mayo clash between Breaffy and Westport - the visitors currently sit one point ahead of the side who knocked them out of the championship last year at the quarter-final stage.
The battle at the top of division two is as tight as it is in the top flight, with both Kiltane and Charlestown level on 12 points at the moment after both sides won six of their seven games. Charlestown will be on the road to north Mayo on Saturday evening to take on an Ardnaree side who have four wins from their seven games - in their last outing Charlestown saw off Belmullet by double scores of 0-14 to 0-7, while Ardnaree head into this one after inflicting a big 0-16 to 2-4 win over fellow table-toppers, Kiltane.
The north Mayo men will be making the long trip to the west Mayo seaside to face a Louisburgh who are currently sitting in fourth place in table. In their last game they were held to a 1-12 to 2-9 by Islandeady, who themselves will be at home to Bohola Moy Davitts, who are locked on four points near the foot of the table alongside Balla and Crossmolina Deel Rovers. The Deelsiders will be looking to move on to six points when they take on a bottom-of-the-table Belmullet side, while Balla are at home to Ballinrobe who are currently in third place in the standings with five wins from their seven games. The last game in the division this weekend will see Burrishoole look to move level on points with their visitors Kilmaine, who are presently sitting in fifth place in the standings.
Mayo GAA Senior Football League Division One
Saturday, August 17 at 6.30pm
Ballintubber v Kiltimagh
Aghamore v Hollymount-Carramore
Ballina Stephenites v Ballaghaderreen
Claremorris v Knockmore
Breaffy v Westport
Castlebar Mitchels v Garrymore
Mayo GAA Senior Football League Division Two
Saturday, August 17 at 6.30pm
Ardnaree v Charlestown Sarsfields
Belmullet v Crossmolina Deel Rovers
Burrishoole v Kilmaine
Islandeady v Bohola Moy Davitts
Balla v Ballinrobe
Louisburgh v Kiltaine
