Mitchels men recall Douglas' last second leveler

Sun, Nov 24, 2013

The game was on the line, it was all or nothing when Neil Douglas stepped up and leveled the game up in Hyde Park on Sunday afternoon for Castlebar Mitchels. While it looked a simple free that any senior club free taker would slot over the bar, there was serious pressure on Douglas' shoulders as he did it. After the game we spoke to some of Douglas' team-mates and his manager as to what was going through their heads as Douglas placed the ball, took a few steps back and connected with the ball. Mitchels manager Pat Holmes, even admitted he did briefly consider bringing in veteran Kevin Filan to take the pressure kick for a few seconds. “My heart was in my mouth because he hadn't been hitting them all day and Tom had been hitting them and Tom had gotten the thing (knock in the build up to the free).We were considering putting on Kevin Filan to take it, but he would have been coming in cold and 'Duggie' in fairness took on the responsibility and buried it over.”

Happy Holmes praises teams effort

Sun, Nov 24, 2013

Twenty years ago he did it as a player with Castlebar Mitchels and on Sunday in Hyde Park, Pat Holmes from the sideline guided Castlebar Mitchels to their first Connacht title since the manager was lining out on the field himself in the red and yellow of the county town. Immediately after the game, Holmes said he was just happy to have got the win in the titanic struggle. “It ebbed and flowed up and down, it's hard to remember all the events that went on in the game. We're just delighted to have won the game.” Going in at half-time five points down and then managing to work themselves into a big lead midway through the second half, many would have expected that Holmes' gave some rousing speech at half-time to get his side riled up for the second half, but the main man himself said there was none of that at all. “We just knew that we hadn't played to our potential in the first half and we also said we'd been five points down against Corofin and we had won the game. So we knew that it wasn't insurmountable and that if we went out and played to our potential and the idea was to try and go out in the second half and work harder.”

Cycling results from Ballinrobe Cyclo Cross

Fri, Nov 22, 2013

It has been 12 years since Western Lakes CC last organised a Cyclo Cross event at the race course in Ballinrobe, and in that time the numbers that have taken up cycling has greatly increased.

The Kiltane victory was based on a solid backline

Fri, Nov 22, 2013

Kiltane are the 2013 Connacht Intermediate football champions after a very professional performance against Boyle of Roscommon last Sunday in Elvery's McHale Park. They were never really in danger in this game, albeit for a sloppy patch midway through the first half in which they conceded a goal and a point on the spin but that was as good as it got for Boyle. Kiltane are keeping the tradition going by being the third Mayo team in a row to win the Gene Byrne Cup. Little did they know the favours Davitt's and Charlestown did for them the two years previous by playing almost all of their games away from home resulting in the Mayo champs having three home games in this years provincial series. You cannot beat home advantage when you are entering the unknown. It is hard to believe this team could have been out of the championship if Drumcliff/ Rosses Point substitute Colin Ginty kept his head instead of fluffing his lines in the dying moments of the semi final when it looked easier to score. Upon such outcomes All-Irelands are won, most All-Ireland champions have a little bit of luck along the way and that most certainly was Kiltane’s. Their ambition now certainly has to be to claim more silverware in early 2014, a feat which Davitt’s and Charlestown failed to achieve.

Success for Mayo AC masters women athletes

Fri, Nov 22, 2013

Mayo AC's masters athletes competed on the Irish team in the 26th Annual British and Irish Masters International Cross Country at Bute Park, Cardiff, last Saturday.

Pauline Moran W55, Colette Tuohy W40, and Jim Gaughan M60 ran in their age category teams against the top masters runners from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Mitchels have what it takes to bring down the Saints

Fri, Nov 22, 2013

Finally getting over the 20-year-old itch and winning the Moclair Cup looks to have freed this Castlebar Mitchels team from the nagging doubts that many had about their ability to press on and mark themselves out as one of the truly great Mayo club sides. They have another opportunity to kick-on again this Sunday, when they go toe-to-toe with the current AIB All Ireland club champions, St Brigid's in Hyde Park. While bookmakers may have the Roscommon men as 4/7 favourites and Castlebar as 15/8 outsiders, those numbers will been have paid little heed around Páirc Josie Munnelly, as Pat Holmes along with his management team of Alan Nolan and Shane Conway put their players through their paces in preparation for Mitchels first provincial final since 1993. Last Sunday, the Mitchels wrapped up the Mayo double with a comprehensive 2-15 to 1-2 league win over the previous holders of the Moclair Cup, Ballaghaderreen. In 10 league and seven championship games they have gone into battle in this year, Mitchels have only been overturned once, on the opening day in the league, when the side they saw off in the county final (Breaffy) edged past them on a boggy and misty spring day.

Magic Mitchels deliver on the big day

Fri, Nov 15, 2013

What a performance by Castlebar Mitchels against Corofin. Hands up, I didn’t see that coming. I was very unsure about the quality of club football in the county but at least now I know we have one team capable of competing. Pundits and bookmakers didn’t give Castlebar a chance (4/1 in some places). Upon seeing Kieran Fitzgerald in the press box fully clothed before the game and hearing about a few other Corofin players being doubtful , I promptly got on the mobile and advised punters to get a piece of Castlebar to be ahead at half time and full time at 7/1. I have to admit it was very worrying when Corofin were leading by 1-03 to 0-1 after 12 minutes, Ian Burke was giving Tom Cuniffe the run around and Neil Douglas was losing crucial ball. Every single Castlebar player upped their performance inspired by Eoghan O’Reilly who set the tone with a big hit on a Corofin player. The Castlebar goals couldn’t have come at a better time, Richie Feeney’s palm into the net was a truly brilliant team goal and when Neil Lydon reacted faster to a rebound off the crossbar to net again for the Mitchels it was Corofin who were taking on water.

Cup final brings down the curtain on domestic season

Fri, Nov 15, 2013

In many ways it is the classic cup final between the historic big two in Mayo soccer this Sunday when Castlebar Celtic and Westport United meet in Milebush. For a team that dominated at home and in the province last year, this year has been successful on the field for the Covies. A so-so start to the league saw them chasing from early on, but they found their form as the season went on and had a major say in the destination of the title in the closing stages, beating eventual champions Ballina Town on the penultimate day ensuring the destination of the Super League crown went down to the last day of the season. They then held second placed Ballyheane to a 2-2 draw at the end of October killing off their hopes of sneaking the title on the last day of the league. They eventually finished six points behind Ballina in the league, and know if they had been able to turn any of the four draws they were held to in the league season the day would have been right in the mix to retain the title.

Tooreen go for glory against Galway champions

Fri, Nov 15, 2013

After a 10 year absence from the top of the tree in Mayo hurling, the most decorated hurling side in the history of the county, Tooreen, are looking to cap their year with a Connacht title on Sunday.

But it is not going to be in any way easy for the east Mayo blue devils who face off against Galway champions Kilnadeema-Leitrim in Athleague at 2pm. Going in against the best intermediate side in Galway is always going to be a massive test for any Mayo hurling side, but Tooreen are riding the crest of a wave since their demolition of Ballyhaunis in the county final a few weeks ago. Since then they have beaten Roscommon champions Four Roads in the Connacht semi-final by the bare minimum on a scoreline of 0-16 to 2-9. Much like the county final, ace marksman Kenny Feeney was their main scoring threat contributing 0-11 in their win, with Fergal Bolan and Stephen Coyne chipping in with 0-2 each and Paul Hunt landing their other score. Along with those three, Tooreen will be looking for big performances from the likes of Cathal Freeman, Ciaran Charlton, Michael Morley, and the one man who could be forgiven for having divided loyalties on Sunday, Ray Larkin.

Kiltane come knocking for more glory

Fri, Nov 15, 2013

A couple of minutes into the second half of their Connacht semi-final against Rosses Point/Drumcliffee it looked as if Kiltane had their place in this year’s provincial final wrapped up and tucked in the luggage compartment of the team bus and on the road home to Erris. But Martin Barrett’s men were made to sweat right until the final whistle in MacHale Park a few weeks ago, as a combination of taking their eye off the game and the Sligo champions refusing to go away saw Kiltane just hang on by the skin of their teeth to set up this Sunday’s meeting with the Roscommon champions Boyle in the county grounds in Castlebar.

Carnacon look to make home advantage count

Fri, Nov 15, 2013

It is one of those things that seems to never change like the winter weather, come this time of the year Carnacon will be on the hunt for an All Ireland title. On Sunday at home in Clogher the standard bearers of senior ladies football in the county are once again looking to book their place in an All Ireland final. Standing in their way are the Laois and Lenister champions, Mountmellick Sarsfields.

All eyes on Sunday will be once again on Cora Staunton who picked up her ninth All Star award last weekend, along with fellow Mayo player Yvonne Byrne who picked up her first All Star award after a stunning year in goal for the Mayo senior side. Staunton has also been in fantastic scoring form for her club side this year, running up huge scores in the Mayo final and through the Connacht championship. But of course Staunton is not the only leading light that Carnacon can call on, with Claire Egan having returned following a recent injury, Fiona McHale, Noelle Tierney, and Martha Carter all top quality players in their ranks.