Darren Coen was the star attraction as Hollymount-Carramore sealed their spot in this years intermediate championship final, the South Mayo sides attacker hit a rich vein of form kicking eight points over the hour.
Of course it wasn’t just one player to the fore, both Kevin and Ian Costello put in big shifts for the winners with Stephen Coen also putting himself about very well over the course of the contest, back boning a win that now sets up an all south Mayo final in a fortnights time.
The victors laid down a marker early on when Coen pointed two minutes in and then three minutes later they had the ball in the back of the net. Coen whipped in a sideline ball that dropped just short, Conor Keane contest with Scott Kilker int he Belmullet goal and the forward did just enough to bundle the ball into the back of the net from close range. Another point from Coen this time from a free had the gap at 1-2 to 0-0 by the seven minute mark.
Belmullet did manage to get on the scoreboard not long after when Gerry Barrett slotted one over the bar from close range. The same man almost got in for a goal, but Niall Campbell stood tall in the Hollymount-Carramore goal and saved well at close range. Shane Nallen cut the gap back to four points with a long range free, but the former Mayo underage goalkeeper’s shooting radar was off target most of the time with a number of efforts from the him missing the target over the hour.
The eventual winners went in leading by 1-7 to 0-3 at the break, with Coen adding two more points to his personal tall, with Kevin Costello, Clifford Connolly and Conor Keane all also getting in on the scoring act. Hollymount-Carramore were dealt a blow when Barry Sheridan was back-carded in the first half, but the did well in his absence and also with the loss of Darren McHugh who was missing from their starting line up due to injury.
The second half was more of the same with the winners outscoring their opponents by seven points to five over the half-an-hour. Belmullet did have plenty of possession during the half, but they kicked seven wides in the last 30 minutes and took the wrong option with their passing when in attack on too many occasions.
Hollymount-Carramore sat back a bit in the second half and they weren’t as fluid as they were in the opening portion of the game, but they did hit a couple of great scores on the break to always keep their noses in front down the home straight. All in all, it’s mission accomplished for Hollymount-Carramoe, but there is one bigger and tougher mission they want to accomplish in a fortnights time.
Scores
Hollymount-Carramore: D Coen (0-8,2f ), C Keane (1-1 ), K Costello (0-2 ), C Connolly (0-1 ), S Coen (0-1 ), C Heneghan (0-1 ).
Belmullet: Cathal Barrett (0-4, 2f ), E McAndrew (0-1 ), S Nallen (0-1, 1f ), G Barrett (0-1 ), C Barrett (0-1 ).
Hollymount-Carramore: N Campbell; R Connolly, D Ferrick, L Macken; P Ferrick, B Sheridan, R Molloy; K McNamara, S Coen; D Coen, I Costello,K Ferrick; C Keane, K Costello, C Connolly. Subs: R Bell for B Sheridan (BC ) D Costello for C Connolly, A Fahy for R Bell, D Kelly for K Ferrick, C Heneghan for C Keane, O Gill for I Costello.
Belmullet: S Kilker; P Barrett, E O’Donoghue, R McIntyre; M Barret, C Barrett, K O’Connor; G Barrett, J Kelly; S Gaughan, M Togher, J O’Donoghue; C Barrett, E McAndrew, S Nallen. Subs: A Mills for R McIntyre, J Boylan for E McAndrew, D Farrell for M Togher, L Monaghan for S Nallen.
Ref: Jerome Henry (Castlebar Mitchels )
