“You’ve got to dance with the ladies that are in the hall, as they say,” is Ciaran McBrien’s outlook as he thinks about the injuries he has to deal with ahead of this Sunday’s refixed Connacht club final against Corofin. The Charlestown manager already knew that he would be without the influence and experience of David Tiernan for this final due to injury, and star forward Richie Haran was going to be another major doubt for the game last weekend with a broken bone in his hand. The extra week has given Haran some more time to recover, but McBrien does not know if it is going to be enough. “It’s one of the hardest breaks to heal we’ve been told, they reckon it will be a six to eight week injury whichever way you look at it, but we hope he’s able to make it in some form.”
Although the weather caused the game to be called off last weekend, McBrien has no fears that the pitch will not be ready for the game. “It was called off on Saturday last week after two very heavy showers, but it will be all systems go for Sunday, the pitch will be in great shape. But it’s going to be a tough task. They are looking for their fifth Connacht title in a number of years, but we’ve got no fear going into Sunday’s game. It’s a great opportunity for some of the lads to write their name into history for the club, and it’s a great day for the town, to have the Connacht final on our own patch is a huge thing for the club and for the town.”
Rivals get to do it all over again
When it rains it pours and that’s not just in relation to the weather this weekend. The u21 footballers of Castlebar Mitchels and Breaffy will have to do it all over again this Saturday. Claremorris official Eamonn McAndrew blew up last Saturday’s encounter between the two local rivals with over two minutes left to play in the game, much to the anger of the home side in Ballyheane. Castlebar were deservedly leading the game by 1-4 to 1-2 and looked like booking their place in the county final. But with over two minutes left in normal time, and injury time also to be played, there was still every chance Breaffy could have snatched a couple of points or a goal which could have swung the contest in their favour. Breaffy will have to line out on Saturday without Aidan O’Shea who jetted off for a two week trial in Australia after last weekend’s semi-final, and they will also have to hope that the influential Rory Martyn is able to shake off the knock that saw him leave the game after 20 minutes. Charlie Collins will be the man in the middle this time at 2pm in Castlebar.
Ballintubber make the break to final
While the Castlebar and Breaffy game will have to be replayed this weekend, one thing was made certain last weekend; it will be an all west Mayo final thanks to Ballintubber’s 4-4 to 0-7 win over Ballinrobe in Cong. Ballintubber now go into the final looking for their second u21 championship in a row, they got over the line last weekend thanks to a good first half display. They led the south Mayo men by 3-3 to 0-3 at the break, with Daniel Loftus, Cillian O’Connor, and Dean Gavin all finding the net, two of the goals were fortunate enough, but that will be of little matter to the Ballintubber men. Ballinrobe did up their game in the second half and managed to tack on four more points, but Ballintubber were too far ahead for it to make any sort of dent in their lead.
Nominations for minor manager received by county board
Four men are currently in the running to take over the role of manager of the Mayo minor team. The post was left vacant after Ray Dempsey moved up to take over the u21 manager’s role, following the departure of the management team of Pat Holmes, Noel Connelly, and Micheal Collins in the autumn. The men in the running to take over after Dempsey are former Ballintubber manager Tony Duffy, who led the west Mayo side to the 2007 intermediate championship alongside James Horan; George Golden, a former manager of Louisburgh and a selector on the Mayo senior team alongside John Maughan; Louisburgh native Padraic Walsh who has been involved as manager of a number of clubs in west Mayo and is a former GAA coaching officer; and Bonniconlon man Donie Touhy. All nominations had to be received by the county board by midnight last Monday. County secretary Sean Feeney confirmed to the Mayo Advertiser this week that the four men will be interviewed by the county board some time next week and all interviews will be completed before the county convention which will take place in Westport on December 7.
