It’s been another packed weekend of club Championship action so here’s a quick round-up of the various results.
There’s only one place to start and that’s the LGFA Senior county final. Carnacon were bidding for their 22nd consecutive county title this year but their long, long unbeaten record within the county came to an emphatic end at James Stephens Park in Ballina this afternoon.
Knockmore, with the irrepressible Shauna Howley to the fore, led from start to finish in today’s Senior final. They bagged the day’s opening five points and that was also the advantage they enjoyed at half-time, as they led then by 0-8 to 0-3.
Carnacon’s greater big game experience meant they were far from out of it at that stage and a second half comeback wouldn’t have been any kind of surprise. Instead, however, it was the North Mayo team who hit the accelerator and by the second water break their lead had increased to eight points.
A goal from sub Lara Sweeney pushed the gap out to double digits. It was plain sailing for Knockmore from there on, as they won by 1-16 to 0-7 at the finish. Huge congrats to them.
Here are the full set of LGFA results from today:
- SFC Final: Knockmore 1-16 Carnacon 0-7
- SFC Shield Final: Burrishoole 1-9 Hollymount 1-6
- IFC Final: Castlebar 2-20 Louisburgh 1-5
- IFC Shield Final: Swinford Killasser 13-17 Claremorris 2-4
- JFC Final: Davitts 4-6 St Brigid’s 2-8
- JFC Shield Final: Breaffy 5-6 The Neale 1-11
Right, onto the men where there’s one inter-county result to report on before diving into the club matches. That game took place yesterday – it was the All-Ireland Masters football semi-final, in which Mayo lost out narrowly to Dublin. The score in that one was Dublin 2-11 Mayo 1-11.
Turning to the club action, here are all the Round 3 results from the Senior football championship this weekend:
Next, here are all the weekend’s results from the Intermediate Championship:
And here are the results from the Junior Championship:
Once the final whistle had sounded in all today’s matches, the various draws for the quarter-finals and the relegation play-offs were made. Starting with the SFC here they are:
IFC:
JFC A:
JFC B:
Dates, times and venues for all the above matches have yet to be confirmed but once they are I’ll post details here, along with broadcasting and streaming details for featured matches.
Finally, there’s one result to report on from the county SHC, where, in a Round 3 tie today, Castlebar Mitchels got the better of Westport by 5-19 to 0-13.
Great performance from the Knockmore ladies. Cormac Reape had them flying. Hats off to Carnacon. They have been some team for over two decades. Some great games in store next weekend to look forward to.
Attended ballintubber v claremorris today.
The gulf in class was evident the minute the ball was thrown in. Tubber are a formidable outfit and will take beating. I was interested in seeing Conor Diskin up close after some considerable hype in recent weeks.
He’s a talented player with an exceptional physique and decent pace. However I thought he was disappointing overall. His footballing IQ did not look like intercounty standard. His movement off the ball (albeit playing with far inferior teammates compared to Tubber) was disappointing.
He showed flashes of ability when he got the ball despite being tightly locked down by the ballintubber defence.
I’d like to see him spend a season or two with Mayo as a high performance environment could mould him into a very effective player but I think he has a long way to go to be a serious intercounty player.
The other player that caught my eye from a potential Mayo perspective was Ciaran Gavin, the balintubber no 13. He looked pacy, dangerous, comfortable on the ball and with an eye for a score. I think he’s still only about 20 or 21?
The usual suspects dominated – gibbons was immense, DOC also, and plunkett drove forward at every opportunity.
Brian Walsh or Cillian didn’t even play.
Claremorris are light years off it. Very lucky to beat Davitts in round 1 or they could easily have found themselves playing intermediate football next year. Shaughnessy was probably their best, McCormack was ok in midfield.
If gibbons career had not coincided with Barry Moran, the o Sheas etc, he would have played a lot more football for Mayo.
Put it this way – a 27yo Jason gibbons starts the 2021 all Ireland final for Mayo, every day of the week.
Carnacon have been some ambassadors for the ladies game in Mayo, thanks to them the ladies club game is as strong as it is currently.
Knockmore were extremely well coached. Their defensive structure was extremely impressive especially for such a young team.
Proud day for parish. Anyone know who the last non-amalgamated club was to hold both men and ladies titles at same time (albeit technically different seasons 🙂 ?
Congrats to knockmore. Listened to the game on Midwest. They dominated the game from start to finish. Not the best of days for Cora . History will show that she is the goat of players in the Lgfa.
Looking forward to mayo putting its best foot forward on national TV next weekend For what it’s it’s worth I go for Westport louisburgh and kilmeena in the 3 championships
James Horan on Midwest radio at 10:10 am tomorrow morning.
In reply to Gizmobobs
Answer is 2019…..Ballintubber and Carnacon
Same parish…just different name
Meaninglessness unless someone with a brain is asking the questions
When will we know the times and venues for the quarterfinals next weekend?
Times and venues out tonight
Sounds like the Belmullet v Aghamore game was a great battle. Would have to think Aghamore will be too good for Balla in their playoff.
Two massive games now with Knockmore v Ballintubber and Westport v Ballina.
Have a feeling Knockmore and Westport will both win but I could be wrong on both counts.
Thanks Tom thumb had always thought they were an amalgamation of a few different parishes as friends. who played them would have been other south Mayo male clubs.
Good array of games on next weekend. With 2 on RTE may get 2 or 3 more on Mayo GAATV
Is it still not to late to bring in Jason Gibbons in to partner Matty Ruane in midfield next year, he’s 33 next year only a year older than Aido but alot more mobile than him to cover Croker, we need a more physical presence in the middle that can field ball, Jason Gibbons is the best Midfielder in club football in Mayo and has been for the last 5 years. Kieran King is due a call up from Horan with his performance in Breaffy yesterday along with Colm Reape his kickouts were excellent while Robbie Hennelly struggled badly with a Garrymore press late on in the game in Bekan yesterday evening.
Claremorris are something of a major mystery Larry Duff.
Fine catchment area with a famous footballing school
But most pertinently they’ve had a huge tradition at underage – they made 3 minor finals in a row between 2013 and 2015, winning the latter, and this team went on to win the under 21 in 2018 also. They also won the under 21 in 2014, led by James Shox. The players from that era would all be aged from between 24 and 28 now (with no doubt a few 22 year olds who would have been under 16 on the 2015 minor team), all well in their pomp.
Yet they’re much closer to playing intermediate football than truly challenging for senior honours, they appear in more relegations groups than quarter finals of recent.
TH, I think mobility in Croker was Jason’s issue when he was in and around the panel the years he was. In my opinion, he is out on his own in terms of club midfielder in the county, and not by a small margin either but the mobility in Croker always got him. At 33, it’s the wrong direction to go, but that’s just my opinion.
Colm Reape was at fault for both Belmullet’s goals in the last round of the championship, dropped them both under relative pressure. Distribution is intercounty standard though. has potential for sure, but you get that feeling there is a mistake there at any time. Luke Jennings for from Ballinrobe is the natural successor to Robbie for me. Distribution, shot stopping and can play a sweeper keeper role. Should be putting a lot into him. Agree with you on Kieran King. Probably would need a year just around the panel..
Ciaran
Huge tradition at underage? They win the majority of South Mayo titles because thay are by far the biggest populated club in South Mayo of the 9 clubs.They won one County Minor A title in 2015 a team with Conor Diskin and James McCormack on it, but they hadnt won one before that since 1997. For a big town club they have very few players that are on the starting 15s of County Minor or Under 20 teams, Garrymore beside them who have a much smaller pick have had alot more county players than them in the last decade, and you have to go back to 1989 for a player from Claremorris to start an All Ireland final for Mayo that was Sean and Greg Maher. If you compare their underage success in the last 10 years to Mitchels, Knockmore and Westport they haven’t been as successful as these clubs.
Not saying they’ve been the most successful underage team in Mayo by any stretch, just that their form in senior for a while now is – to be honest – out of kilter with where it really ought to be, given they won a minor title and 2 under 21s in the last 7 years. All else aside that’s a good base to start with – many clubs could only dream of that
They’re far from the only club in Ireland with this issue though. Some handle the step up a lot better than others i suppose, and you are right – they don’t have enough of a representation on county sides, meaning maybe not enough actual marquee players are coming through to power the senior side
@Tomthumb – would Carnacon not be the equivalent of an amalgamation though. No Mayo Gaels LGFA side for one until this year
The unfortunate thing for Jason was that when he was on the Mayo panel we had serious strength in depth at midfield, ie Aidan, Seamie, Vaughan, Barry Moran.
I think I recall one national league where Jason was rated as the best performer that particular year, of any intercounty player. Then he got injured and the chance really had passed for him then, through no fault of his own. Cant see him being brought back in at this stage. We need to focus elsewhere now.
As the Ah Ref pod noted, we need a “bruiser” to partner Mattie, to allow Mattie go forward. We have midfield talent in Mayo, so it will undoubtedly be a key priority for James. I’d go with Oisin Mullin if he remains in Ireland (I wonder if his passport was chucked into Lough Mask yet???)
Underage success in Mayo has to be compared differently to winning and challenging for Moclair cups and Division 1 league titles. Only a certain amount of clubs like the big town clubs like Mitchels, Ballina and Westport and well organised rural clubs like Knockmore and Breaffy will win the Underage County A titles cause of there big populations. Reasons why Claremorris appear in alot of underage County semi finals and Finals cause they win the majority of South Mayo titles cause it has by far the biggest population of the 9 clubs in South Mayo, it has the pick of 4 National schools and a population of 4000 people.They don’t win alot of County A Titles in comparison for all the South Mayo A Titles they win. Senior success is different look at Garrymore, Charlestown and Ballintubber they don’t have massive playing populations but they bring younger players through alot better from underage to Senior and are always in the latter stages of the Senior championship and always have a high representation on Mayo County squads.
Regarding a midfield bruiser with Mattie Ruane it is for sure needed. Watching boxing recently it reminded me how you can be as lift a weight strong as you like, sometimes you need the height and weight. I think Oisin is too undersized for midfield. Anything that falls in the crowd he won’t win on the floor or in the air against midfield heavyweights.
It won’t happen but Shane McHale brings 6’1″ or 6’2″ and has a strong physique, would be good from the bench.
Any hope in the idea of Padraig Prendergast from the bench?
Stephen Coen would be a good option in midfield if nobody new turns up. Excellent at breaking kickouts and winning 50:50 balls on the ground. Complements Mattie perfectly as he has a natural defensive instinct.
We have plenty of half backs to take Coen’s place in defence.
Golden for Garrymore is the best midfielder I have seen. He keeps the game simple and moves the ball quickly. Now saying that I have not seen Ballintubber yet this year.
He’s a bit young yet – still u18 this year but I would keep an eye on Bob Tuohy of castlebar.
Could be an excellent midfield option in 2 or 3 years. Very good fielder.
JP, I’d bet that Oisin is one of the strongest players on the Mayo team. If he can’t win breaking ball then I don’t know who can. He was caught for high ball against McShane but he showed in last year’s Christmas final how good he can be in the air. He’s certainly not a full-back line player. I’d be happy enough seeing him at 6 but would rather him at midfield. He’s so young that there’s scope to develop him in the middle. My guess is he’d take to it like a duck to water.
@Liberal role in the the, Ya, being a strong low To the ground player he’d do well on breaking ball. I’m harsh there. But my point is around the ball in the air where you need physical size. Also, yes he’s strong for his size but compared to an inter county midfield type bruiser thst we need he’s not strong. There’s a certain amount o this is simply bodyweight. Mass A hits lighter mass b n without ability to be fully braced to use your leg strength the bigger mass wins the collision.
Then simply height of reach.
I see what you mean JP. I suppose until any player plays in a position for a lengthy period of time we won’t know if they have it or not in that position. Oisin is such a talent though, we need to get the most out of him. But more likely he’ll head to Oz anyway, by all accounts.
I actually don’t think Oisin is a top drawer AFL prospect. Of the players who made it they were either bigger or more top of that year attacking talent. Several who didn’t make it were bigger and better on pure football. Oisin is a good athlete but that’s a defacto starting point in AFL. All the Irish prospects who made it were top drawer midfielders or attacking players. Can’t think of any defenders?
I have spent several years in Australia and watched a lot of AFL football. Keep a close eye on the Irish players especially. It’s true that guys like Tuohy and Hanley are big tall lads and that definitely helped them. But Conor McKenna was an outstanding AFL player off the half back flank and is a relatively smallish fella, and that’s where Oisin would potentially flourish if he were to make the switch.
However I’m not sensing he’s going to move. I saw him watching ballintubber and claremorris yesterday, after playing earlier in the day for Kilmaine. He seems ingrained in the Mayo gaa scene much more than even the likes of Cian or Pearse Hanley ever were.
I think he’s going to stay. It’s a bit different for the fermanagh lad that moved to the Fremantle Dockers at the weekend. Fantastic opportunity for him and he’s unlikely to play in many big games for fermanagh, unlike Oisin with Mayo.
Talking about big strong mid fielders bring to mind a big tough awkward lad called Cullinane, the Galway supporters called him the donkey, he was dropped and they really missed out on his strenght
@Larry Duff, Conor McKenna is a comfortable six foot with a lot of natural frame to go with that. He’s more of an attacking player in Gaelic football and the kind of lad would be a good striker in soccer with a real skill on the ball.
He was in that top bracket of attacking players for his age.
I personally would put Stephen Coen at Full Back and make him captain too. Keegan in half back line
Mullen in midfield and Loftus in half forward along with Diarmuid
Paul B
Ballintubber and Carnacon are both villages in the parish of Burriscarra.
Home pitch is Clogher
Carnacon never amalgamated with any other club
Maybe girls from neighbouring parishes played with them over the years as they wanted to play Gaelic football and had no club in their own parish at the time.