On Sunday afternoon Moy Davitts will look to do what no side has done in the past two decades and deny Carnacon another Mayo senior football title.
The defending champions swatted away the challenge of Hollymount in the semi-final last Sunday in Ballintubber, running out 4-16 to 1-5 winners, hitting all but two scores from play over the course of the game, doing it without Cora Staunton who is back in Ireland and recovering from a double leg break sustained in May while playing AFL.
Aoife Brennan was scorer in chief for Carnacon, hitting 2-5, while Louise Dowling chipped in with 1-4 and Amy Dowling hit six points - the defending champions boast a side packed full of big game experience with Marie Corbett and Martha Carter commanding their defensive unit, Fiona McHale playing a key role in the middle of the park and up front the aforementioned Brennan and the two Dowlings will need serious minding by the Moy Davitts defence on Sunday.
The east Mayo girls are back in the county final for the first time since 2016 after a blitzkrieg ending to their semi-final against Burrishoole in Newport, where they went from trailing by a point on a scoreline of 2-6 to 2-5 late in the second half to running out 5-12 to 2-6 winners over the West Mayo girls.
Sandra Hall was the player who did the most damage on the scoreboard, bagging 3-1 over the hour, with Grace Kelly hitting 1-5 and Orla McHale getting their other goal - while inter-county players Niamh Kelly and Fiona Doherty both chipped in with two points each in the game.
Both sides met already in the championship only a fortnight ago in their final round robin game of the group stages of the competition, where Carnacon ran out 7-9 to 1-12 winners. Going on recent meetings between the sides and their historic form, it looks like another win for Carnacon is in the offing. The final takes place on Saturday, October 5 at 4.30pm in Swinford Amenity Park.
Kimoremoy bow out - while McHale Rovers take junior crown
Last Sunday in James Stephens Park, Mayo intermediate champions Kilmoremoy bowed out of the Connacht championship, going down 5-13 to 3-15 to Leitrim side St Josephs. The north Mayo girls who were playing their third championship game in less than two weeks led by three points at the break, but came up against St Jospeph's team that put in a top class performance. Sarah Rowe was the top scorer on the day for the defeated side, hitting 1-9 with Mary McHale and Eimear Tracey grabbed the other goals. But an inspired Michelle Heslin who bagged 2-4 drove the visitors on to victory.
The Mayo junior championship came to a conclusion in Swinford on Saturday afternoon, where MacHale Rovers saw off the challenge of Tourmakeady winning 6-13 to 2-8. Sinead Walsh hit 3-1 for the victors with All Star nominee Rachel Kearns bagging 1-7 and picking up the player of the game award for her efforts. McHale Rovers now go on to face Leitrim side Aughawillan in the Connacht semi-final tomorrow afternoon in Ballinamore at 2pm.
