On Sunday afternoon the last eight sides left in the junior championship will battle it out for a spot in the semi-finals of the competition.
In Knockmore on Sunday afternoon, group one table toppers, Kilmeena, will take on a Cill Chomain side who finished in second place in group three - behind Castlebar Mitchels B. Kilmeena have been in flying form in the championship this year, hitting 13-53 in their three group games, scoring four goals against Kilmovee and Ballycroy and putting five past Ballina Stephenites B. The West Mayo men have been making moves in recent years to try and get out of the junior championship and if they can keep up the kind of form they have shown so far, they could make a serious dent this year. Cill Chomain will be a tough opponent for them though - the north Mayo men saw off both Ballycastle and Charlestown B well in the group game, the only points they dropped came against a good Castlebar Mitchels B team and they will fancy their chances of winning this one.
The aforementioned Mitchels B's reward for topping their group is a meeting with Kilmovee Shamrocks in Parke on Sunday afternoon. Mitchels hit 7-26 in their three group games where they picked up two wins and one draw - with the only points they dropped coming against Charlestown B in their last group game, after seeing off both Ballycastle and Cill Chomain in earlier rounds. Their opponents finished second in group one behind Kilmeena - who were the only side they lost to in the group stages - they did ship a heavy beating to the West Mayo men in their last group game, but they had already booked their place in the last eight at that stage.
Ardagh will take on Ballintubber B in Swinford at 3pm on Sunday afternoon and the north Mayo men will fancy their chances of turning over the senior county champions' second team. In their last game Ardagh fielded a weakened team and were hammered by Westport B, but they were already through to the last eight before the ball was thrown in. The north Mayo men will be fancied to make strides in this year's junior championship and with James Carr preforming such a big role with the Mayo senior team this year, he will be a marked man. Ballintubber B are a good side who saw off both Tourmakeady and Killala to finish in second place behind Kilmaine in group four, scoring 6-29 along the way in those three games.
The final game down for decision at this stage of the competition is the pairing of Kilmaine - who blitzed through group four beating Tourmakeady, Ballintubber and Killala along the way and look to be one of the favourites to lift the title - v Westport B. Westport B ended up in the last eight thanks to a strange confluence of results on the last day where they hammered an under-strength Ardagh side, who were already through to the last eight; and Knockmore B beat Achill in the other game, allowing Westport's second string to slip through to the last eight. But this will be a very tough ask for them and the south Mayo men should have more than enough to get through when they meet in Islandeady on Sunday afternoon.
Mayo Junior Football Championship Quarter Finals
Kilmeena v Cill Chomain
Sunday, September 8 at 3pm in Knockmore
Castlebar Mitchels B v Kilmovee Shamrocks
Sunday, September 8 at 3pm in Parke
Kilmaine v Westport B
Sunday, September 8 at 4pm in Ballyheane
Ardagh v Ballintubber B
Sunday, September 8 at 4pm in Swinford
