Both Breaffy and Ballina will do it again on Saturday evening as both sides battle it out for the last remaining place in this year’s Treanlaur Catering Mayo Senior Football Championship semi-finals. The sides finished level in McHale Park last Saturday evening thanks to a late equalising point from Breaffy wing-forward Matthew Conroy. Ballina looked to have the game theirs for the taking on a couple of occasions in both the first and second halves when they opened out big leads. But Breaffy pulled the Stephenites back in on both occasions to leave the game level at 1-11 to 0-14 at the end. Mayo minor Evan Regan was the main man for the north Mayo side, scoring 1-6 over the hour and caused the Breaffy defence a number of problems. Jim O’Shea and his management team will have been thinking hard all week what is the best way to counteract Regan’s threat tomorrow.
That being said Breaffy will take great heart from pulling the game out of the fire when all looked to be lost on a few occasions, with the three O’Sheas to the fore in the midfield diamond along with Mícheál Jennings, Alan Durcan, and Conroy all putting in good performances over the hour. They were also able to call on the experience of Eddie Conroy and Declan Jennings from the bench to steady the ship near the end. Both sides will get to grips with each other again tomorrow in McHale Park with the game throwing in at 6pm.
Charlestown and Kiltane look to maintain senior status
Prior to that game, the 2009 county champions Charlestown will be looking to halt their fall from grace when they take on Kiltane in the second senior championship relegation play off. The losers will go into the relegation play off final against Tourmakeady who were beaten by Garrymore last weekend, with the losers of that game making the drop to the intermediate grade next season. For Kiltane the championship started off so well with a win over Knockmore on the opening day, they followed that up with a defeat to Breaffy and then a surprise defeat at the hands of Ballinrobe, when a win would have put them into the last eight of the championship. Charlestown were zero for three in their group games, being beaten by Ballaghaderreen, Castlebar, and Aghamore condemning them to the relegation play offs. With so much on the line this east against north battle is sure to be one that will be full of honest hard effort and probably not one for the faint hearted. The game will throw in at 4.30pm in McHale Park on Saturday.
Last spot in intermediate semi-finals still to be decided
In the intermediate championship, the fourth spot in the semi-finals is also still up for grabs following Burrishoole’s draw with Hollymount-Carramore last Sunday afternoon. The replay will be the last action of the weekend in McHale Park when it throws in at 6pm. Have the south Mayo amalgamation missed their chances is the big question to asked ahead of this game. Jarlath Jennings’ side played with poise and control last Sunday against the side who had been marked out by most as favourites to claim the intermediate title this season. It was only thanks to a last minute equaliser from Pat Mulchrone that Burrishoole managed to stay in the contest. Veteran Ray Connelly had an impressive game at the back marshalling Mayo senior player Jason Doherty, and Colm McManamon will be looking for more from Doherty on Sunday if his side are going to progress. For Hollymount-Carramore, Clifford Connelly was a big threat up front and Burrishoole will have to get to grips with him from the start if they are going to make the last four. The first meetings of the sides was a real ding-dong affair and more of that looks likely to be in store come Sunday evening.
Dates for semi-finals and finals marked in the diary
The Mayo County Board this week marked out the dates for the final stages of the club championships this week. The draw for the semi-finals in the senior, intermediate, and junior championships will take place on Monday September 12. The junior championship semi-finals will be the first down for decision on Sunday September 25, the day after the senior hurling championship semi-final. The intermediate championship semi-finals are down for Saturday October 1, with the senior championship semi-finals the following day. The junior finals will throw in on Saturday October 8 with the intermediate final on Sunday October 16 and the senior final the following week Sunday October 23.
