Ballintubber v Ballina
McHale Park, Castlebar
Saturday, August 28 at 6.30pm
Ref: K Connelly
It is a clash of the young pretenders and the old heads to kick off the action in the senior championship this weekend. Ballintubber have been one of the form teams in Mayo over the past two seasons and this could very well be their time to strike it big in the senior championship. James Horan who is now officially in the hat for the Mayo job will be given another chance to impress on Saturday evening when his side take on the old stagers from Ballina. It is not that Ballina are in any way a very old team, but they have bags of experience to call on. When it came to the crunch against Ballinrobe in the group stages in a must win game they were able to field nine players who were involved in the 2005 All Ireland final. A 10th man John Healy is on the line this year taking charge of the side. Ballintubber have all the momentum coming into the game, but if it gets tight and hard in the final few minutes, the old heads in green and red could get in the way of that momentum.
Verdict: Ballintubber
Castlebar v Breaffy
McHale Park, Castlebar
Sunday, August 29 at 2pm
Ref: J Hughes
If you are going to call the outcome of this game on paper purely, then there is only one outcome, a Castlebar Mitchels win. They sauntered through the group stage with ease, seeing off Shrule Glencorrib, Aghamore, and Moy Davitts without ever really being pushed to the pin of their collar. They reached the semi-finals last season but it was just a bridge too far for them at that stage of their development. Peter Ford has been working on this team for the past couple of years, and with the conveyor belt of talented youngsters who keep coming through to supplement the side that was already there, he has blended them into a potentially championship winning team who will not fear any side in this competition.
But, if there is one side left in the competition who are going to leave it all and more on the field against them it is Breaffy. Jim O'Shea's side have been inconsistent over the course of the year so far in both league and championship, but they showed in the group stages, by picking up wins away from home to both Kiltane and Westport, that they are more capable of digging out results. It will take big performances from everyone from one to 15 if they are going to pull off the win and book a first semi-final appearance in the senior championship. This game has all the makings of a classic championship battle.
Verdict: Castlebar
Charlestown v Shrule Glencorrib
McHale Park, Castlebar
Sunday, August 29 at 3.30pm
Ref: V Neary
The middle order of Sunday's offering in McHale Park looks to be the most clean cut call to make. Charlestown have been methodical in their defence of the title so far in the championship, with out being spectacular they have managed to see off all comers in their group picking up four wins from four. Shrule Glencorrib did just enough to get out of their section, and when you throw in Mark Ronaldson’s suspension after being red carded in the last group game the south Mayo men's task got all that little bit harder.
Kenneth Mortimer has taken over the border club this year, and the former All Star will need to have all his players firing on all cylinders come Sunday afternoon if they are going to dethrone the champions. Big games will be needed from the likes of Conor and Trevor Mortimer and Kieran Conroy on Sunday. Ciaran McBrien has proven to be a very shrewd operator and he will have his side well tuned in for Sunday and he will be busy making sure that his side do not think it is any sort of forgone conclusion.
Verdict: Charlestown
Knockmore v Crossmolina
McHale Park, Castlebar
Sunday, August 29 at 5.30pm
Ref: D Harrington
This is one for the championship purists, two of the so called big teams going toe to toe, with neither willing to give an inch. Both sides have met so often in big championship games down through the past number of years, even though both sides have gone through a few personal shakes ups there will not be many men in the 30 on the field, and the subs who come on, who have not got stuck into each other at some stage in the past.
Knockmore look like the side who have what it takes to win on Sunday and potentially go on and claim the senior title, which they came very close to doing last year, and if it not for injuries they may well have. The evergreen Kevin O'Neill will be the man they look to lead them once again, his talents have not dulled as the years pass by, and a with a fit Aidan Kilcoyne in support the Crossmolina backs will have to be on their toes.
But Crossmolina are Crossmolina, if any side can dig out a championship win it is the Deel Rovers. It has been a difficult year for John Maughan, with the loss of both James and Tom Nallen and other players, he has had to remould his team. But as the year has gone on they have started to find their feet and they will not be rolling over for any side, especially Knockmore.
Verdict: Knockmore
