We take a look back on some of the talking points from the club championship last weekend.
The Neale
Winning the intermediate title last year was a major achievement - to follow that up by winning their first ever game at senior level in the championship is a another special moment for the south Mayo club. Also seeing off another south Mayo side with a last gasp goal just added to the sweetness.
Changing penalty takers
Most sides would only change their penalty taker if their chosen one missed the first - but Belmullet had two different penalty takers in the first half in their defeat to Ballaghaderreen on Saturday and both found the net. Shane Nallen was first up and he was followed by Ryan O’Donoghue who also made no mistake from the spot.
Injuries for Mitchels
New Castlebar Mitchels manager Alan Flynn will be happy that his side got a win against Charlestown - but has it come at a cost with both Neil Douglas and Donal Vaughan having to leave the game with injuries. He’ll be hoping that both are ok for the visit of Breaffy.
Moran still has it
Andy Moran may be retired from the top level, but he showed he’s lost none of his cuteness and guile at the weekend. He was picked up by Eoin O’Donoghue in Ballaghaderreen’s clash with Belmullet and Moran got the better of this battle for the majority of the evening.
Champions stutter
Ballintubber will be disappointed that they got pegged back by a late goal from Aghamore on Saturday night. The defending county champions will know they will have to do much better next weekend - they only managed to register a single point in the second half, the same as their guests - but the East Mayo men did get the vital goal.
Having a look whatever way you can
You could have caught three games over the weekend on Mayo GAA TV - but even though some couldn’t get a ticket it didn’t stop them getting a look at a game. In Ballaghderren alone there were two people watching it from a bedroom window of a house that backs onto the ground, another two men were peering over the fence at the same end of the ground from the housing estate - with two more took a very long range vantage point outside of the wire on the far side of the training pitch - they must have had some very good eyesight.
Deputy on duty
The Dáil going into its summer recess has fitted in perfectly for one of Mayo's newest TDs and his footballing commitments. Alan Dillon came off the bench for Ballintubber last Saturday, I wonder did he get many constituency queriers from Aghamore players while he was on the field? Getting leathered by a lad one minute and having him ask you "Can you fix the pothole on my road" a minute later might be Dillon's new normal.
Big man at the edge of the square
The big man at the edge of the square was back in fashion in Breaffy on Sunday, with Aidan O'Shea and Kevin Keane taking up the positions in the full forward line. It was the Westport man who had the impact on the scoreboard hitting 1-2 during his 20 minutes of action before injury forced him off. Not bad for a lad whose known as a full back.
Ballina's attack
The north Mayo aristocrats are looking to get back to the top of the table and hitting 3-11 they laid down a marker last weekend. 3-10 of that came from their full forward line with Simon Leonard hitting 2-4, Evan Regan 0-6 and Conor McStay 1-0. Keeping tabs on them isn't going to be easy for any full back line.
Mitchels B aren't here to make up the numbers
They'll be the last B team to compete in the intermediate championship after the rules for the junior championship was changed this year to exclude B teams. But last year's junior champions Castlebar Mitchels B took the scalp of Burrishoole in style last Sunday in Castlebar hitting 1-15 - the county towns talent pool continues to come through.
Old stages still showing their worth
Crossmolina's quest to get out of the second tier got off to a winning start with a 0-10 to 0-8 win over Ballyhaunis and veterans Peadar Gardiner and Brian Benson played key roles with Benson hitting four points for the Deep Rovers.
