Search Results for 'Brendan Garvin'

When a game ends with such a comprehensive a gap between the sides, all there is to do is to sit back and marvel at the performance of the victors. For Ardnaree, it’s been a long 44 year wait since they last claimed the Mayo junior title. There have been plenty of close misses over the years since then, no more than in the past decade where they have had to head back to their enclave on the north side of the Moy after tasting defeat in the 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013 finals.

The All Ireland minor championship sponsors have been using the tagline "this is major" as part of their promotion of that grade in recent years and it could quite easily be applied to what is going to happen on Sunday when Ardnaree and Killala meet at 3pm in the Mayo junior final. This all north Mayo battle promises to be an encounter that will be one for the ages. Ardanree have been knocking at the door in the junior championship so hard over the past number of years there is no paint left on it at this stage, but they have just failed to make grade each time, losing finals in 2009, 2011, and 2012. You also have to go back as far as 1971 to find the last time they claimed the title.

Nothing could separate these sides the first time out and the narrowest of margins was all that was between them at the end of a pulsating encounter on Sunday afternoon in MacHale Park. After missing two frees at the death to win the game the first time around, Achill had a chance to level this game up in injury time, but Pee Sweeney’s effort from tight out on the MacHale Road side of the ground missed on the near side and Killala held on for a memorable victory.