Well done to Ballintubber on winning the Senior County Final last Sunday!
Mayo SFC Final
Ballintubber 0-8
Castlebar Mitchels 0-5
Ballintubber were crowned Mayo GAA champions for the first time in their long history thanks to a hard fought and well earned win over Castlebar Mitchels in last Sunday’s County Final at McHale Park.
The game won’t live long in the memory of neutrals but that won’t matter a bit to the boys from the Tubber who showed the greater workrate and composure on a huge day for both clubs.
It was an emotional day too – the recent tragedies on Inishbofin were on a lot of people’s minds and a poignant (and immaculately observed) minute’s silence in memory of both Ger Feeney and Donal McEllin, and Gerard O’Malley, John Golden and Paddy Gilroy who also died recently, took place before thge national anthem.
Both sides showed clear nervousness early on with both Neil Douglas of Castlebar and Ballintubber’s Alan Dillon missing frees they would normally point blindfold.
And as the half went on it was clear neither side was settling as they would like. Douglas and Dillon would get their respective sides off the mark while a Douglas fisted point led to the departure of Tubber ‘keeper Noel Gibbons, who landed awkwardly whilst contesting the ball.
But Ballintubber took a narrow 0-3 to 0-2 lead in at the break when Alan Plunkett and Dillon pointed.
In the second half it was certainly Ballintubber who found their feet. Castlebar may have had more of the ball in the third quarter but their use of the ball was poor, certainly in comparison to Ballintubber’s more economical play.
Padraig O’Connor and Neil Douglas traded scores but when a ten minute barren spell was ended with points from Cillian O’Connor and sub’ Damien Coleman, Tubber were three clear, a big lead in such a low scoring game.
Cillian O’Connor pushed the gap to four and while Neil Douglas reduced it to three, Mitchels needed a goal in injury time. That was what was on wing-back Ronan Burke’s mind when he fired at goal from long range but it sailed over, rather than under the bar. Ballintubber could breath easily then when Alan Plunkett hoisted over his second point and to the Tubber went the glory.
Ballintubber
N Gibbons; G Loftus, C Hallinan, P Earley; T Earley, J Feeney, R O’Connor; D Geraghty, J Gibbons; G Dillon, A Dillon (0-2, 2fs), A Plunkett (0-2); M Nestor, P O’Connor (0-1), C O’Connor (0-2).
Subs used: B Walsh for N Gibbons (inj. 27); D Larkin for Feeney (inj); D Coleman (0-1) for P O’Connor (inj); D McGing for G Dillon (inj); T Kilcoyne for Plunkett (inj).
Castlebar
C Naughton; R Feeney, A Feeney, E Reilly; D Newcombe, P Kelly, R Burke (0-1); S Fitzmaurice, D Sloyan; D Kirby, N Lydon, T Cunniffe; A Walsh, B Moran, N Douglas (0-4, 1f).
Subs used: G McDonagh (35) for Sloyan; E Tiernan for Fitzmaurice (49); E Kennedy for Kirby (52); F Durkan for Lydon (62).
Referee: J Hughes (Kilmaine)
