With darkness having already fallen – earlier every week now as we hurtle ever more rapidly to the year’s shortest day – it’s time to do a quick round-up of the weekend’s club Championship action.

The big story of the weekend was, of course, Breaffy’s dethroning of Moclair Cup holders Westport this afternoon at Islandeady. Breaffy won that one by two points, 1-8 to 0-9, despite failing to score for the final twenty minutes and with the defending champions, who ended the game with 13 players on the field, spurning a few good chances late on. Mayo News match report is here.

The match yesterday between Castlebar Mitchels and Ballintubber was expected to be tight and tense and that it was. The conditions were horrendous and the wind and rain, combined with both teams’ defensive outlook, meant it was never going to be a free-scoring contest.

Tubber will, no doubt, have huge regrets at how this one slipped from their grasp. Four up with the match nearing injury time, they somehow gave Mitchels a lifeline, Cillian O’Connor’s late dismissal not helping matters from their point of view. After Paddy Heneghan’s late, late point had forced extra-time, Ballintubber conceded a ludicrous goal from a bouncing ball punted in from the throw-in and Mitchels never ceded their advantage thereafter. Mayo News match report here.

When the semi-final draw was made earlier on this evening, it was inevitable, I guess, that it would produce two derby pairings. As a result, Breaffy’s reward for knocking out the champs is a semi-final meeting with Castlebar Mitchels while Ballina Stephenites will meet Knockmore. Stephenites had it pretty much all their own way against Belmullet today, while Knockmore had a bit of a battle yesterday evening before shaking off the sticky challenge posed by Charlestown (Mayo News match report here).

In the SFC relegation play-offs, there were wins for Balla and Claremorris so now it’s a shootout between The Neale and Ballyhaunis to avoid relegation to Intermediate next year.

Here are the weekend’s SFC results:

SFC quarter-finals

• Castlebar Mitchels 2-10 Ballintubber 0-13 (after extra-time)
• Knockmore 0-13 Charlestown Sarsfields 0-9
• Breaffy 1-8 Westport 0-9
• Ballina Stephenites 1-11 Belmullet 0-4

SFC relegation play-offs

• Balla 0-11 The Neale 0-7
• Claremorris 0-9 Ballyhaunis 0-7

In the Intermediate Championship, the biggest waves this weekend were made by Bohola Moy Davitts. They made light work of the wild wind blowing in the elevated surroundings at Aghamore yesterday and they made light work of opponents Hollymount/Carramore as well, hitting them for four goals on their way to a comprehensive twelve-point win.

The other form team in the IFC this year are Ballinrobe and they were amongst the goals yesterday too, banging in three of them as they saw off Islandeady by eight points. The semi-final draw kept them apart as well, with Moy Davitts facing Kilmeena while Ballinrobe will play Castlebar Mitchels B.

Here are the weekend’s results from the IFC:

IFC quarter-finals

• Kilmeena 1-11 Parke/Keelogues/Crimlin 1-9
• Ballinrobe 3-10 Islandeady 1-8
• Bohola Moy Davitts 4-14 Hollymount/Carramore 1-11
• Castlebar Mitchels B 1-13 Louisburgh 0-7

IFC relegation play-offs

• Burrishoole 0-15 Bonniconlon 0-7
• Kilmaine 2-19 Kiltimagh 2-8

Onto the Junior Championship where the weekend’s results were as follows:

JFC quarter-finals

• Shrule/Glencorrib 2-11 Ardagh 2-6
• Cill Chomáin 3-10 Northern Gaels 1-6
• Eastern Gaels 3-6 Swinford 2-6
• Lahardane MacHales 1-12 Killala 0-10

JFC B quarter-finals

• Kilmovee Shamrocks 1-15 Ballycroy 2-10
• Tourmakeady 0-12 Moygownagh 1-6

Finally, a quick gallop through the LGFA Championship Round 3 results from the weekend, starting with Senior, which were as follows:

• SFC Group A: Knockmore 1-17 Hollymount 0-2; Carnacon 3-8 Castlebar Mitchels 1-7
• SFC Group B: Westport 2-9 Burrishoole 0-11; Kilmovee Shamrocks 4-11 Charlestown 2-12

The above results mean that Knockmore, Carnacon, Westport and Kilmovee Shamrocks progress to the knockout stages while defending champions Burrishoole are out.

Here are the rest of the LGFA Championship results from the weekend:

• IFC Group A: Moy Davitts 4-10 Swinford Killasser 2-6; Ballyhaunis 4-11 Cill Chomáin 0-9
• IFC Group B: Louisburgh 4-10 MacHale Rovers 3-13; Davitts 2-11 Kilmoremoy 0-9
• JFC A Group A: St Brigid’s 1-21 The Neale 2-3; Claremorris 7-13 Breaffy 1-4
• JFC A Group B: Aghamore 5-11 Kiltimagh 0-7; Parke/Keelogues/Crimlin 2-13 Kilmeena 0-5
• JFC B Group A: Balla 4-10 Westport 0-7; Claremorris 3-13 Kilmaine 1-1
• JFC B Group B: Tourmakeady 3-15 Shrule/Glencorrib 1-3; Burrishoole 1-6 Achill 0-6
• JFC B Group C: Kiltane 9-19 Islandeady 0-2; Ballinrobe 5-10 Belmullet 2-5

Right, that’s your lot regarding the weekend’s results.