The club championships have now moved onto the provincial stage and the first shots were fired today in this year’s Connacht club senior football championship. Two quarter-final ties were played this afternoon.
From a Mayo perspective the focus today was on newly-crowned Moclair Cup winners Ballintubber who faced Sligo champions Tourlestrane at Quigibar, near Enniscrone. The Abbeysiders are renowned for keeping their matches tight and cagey but they outdid themselves in this respect this afternoon, as they emerged from the seaside venue with an 0-6 to 0-5 win.
Total football this clearly wasn’t, with Ballintubber prevailing thanks to five converted frees by Cillian O’Connor plus a solitary point from play from kid brother Diarmuid. The Tubber lads led by three points to one at half-time and added a further three points after the break to edge out Eamonn O’Hara’s charges by the minimum margin. Match report from RTÉ is here.
Ballintubber’s win sees them through to the semi-finals where they’ll face Leitrim champions Aughawillan. That tie will be played this day week at Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon.
In the day’s other provincial quarter-final, Roscommon champions Clann na nGael had a bit of a scare against Tír Chonnail Gaels of London. The Rossie lads won in the end at Hyde Park by 1-15 to 1-10, helped by a haul of nine points from Donie Shine, but the Exiles pushed them hard and they led by a point with twenty minutes to go. Match report from RTÉ on that one is here.
Clann na nGael’s reward is a semi-final date with Galway champions Corofin, who won their sixth county title in a row today, as they finally got the better of Mountbellew/Moylough in the Galway SFC final replay. That one finished 1-8 to 0-5 at Pearse Stadium and RTÉ’s report on it is here.
The other result of interest from a Mayo point of view this weekend came in ladies football yesterday where Carnacon’s quest for back-to-back All-Ireland titles came unstuck at the Connacht final stage. They lost yesterday’s provincial decider to Galway champions Kilkerrin-Clonberne on a scoreline of 3-4 to 1-8. Hard luck to them.
Carnacon probably left it behind them yesterday. Certainly no love lost between Louise warde and Cora!!
Great game and well handled by Gerry Carmody.
Kilkerrin clonberne just got the goals at the right time and there was an element of good fortune about the last one which won the game for them.
Cora had a really good game.
It was a joy to watch Cora in action yest and sorry for the Carnacon girls, but a fantastic physical game on both sides. Cora’s scores from way out were just epic. What a magnificent sportslady and example for all the young players in the years ahead. Best of luck in the next few months in Oz.
0-6 to 0-5. Jesus wept.
The Galway final wasn’t much better. 1-8 to 0-5 (after a 0-7 to 0-7 draw the first day).
Is it any wonder hurling is leaving football behind?
Tuned n2 local radio station for Tourlestrane v Ballintubber. The latter awarded a scorable free in 1st minute but COC kicked it wide. My issue is that neither of the gents on commentry bothered to tell listeners the location of the free so we didnt know if it was a bad miss or a shot to nothing, so I switched off.
Very much Corofin’s Connacht title to lose. Intermediate and Junior harder to call and could have two Mayo winners.
Mayomagic, I would say the gap has closed a bit re: Corofin. They may win Connacht but in my opinion, and I’d see a good bit of Galway club football, they are beatable. If CnG havent over-celebrated then they could really push them close in the semi. B’tubber have the players to beat Corofin – particularly if Diarmuid and Gibbons had big days.
I don’t know if I can recall ever attending a more defensive game than the Ballintubber game yesterday. Now, let’s not be under any illusions – Ballintubber are well able to play defensive football themselves but the way Tourlestrane set themselves up was embarrassing. If that’s Eamon O’Hara’s approach to management, we needn’t worry about seeing him progress to intercounty level any time soon.
Credit to the crew in Enniscrone/Kilglass for their organisation and for having over 50 stewards on duty at the ground! The food truck was a nice addition too, no harm having hot food on hand for a winter club game.
@Mayonaze you have to go back to 2013 since Corofin lost a championship game in Galway and in that time they just drew two matches and won the rest. Teams there have tried everything to beat them including the latest Mountbellew with their Ultra defensive tactics and still couldn’t topple them.
Clann and Tubber have match winners in their side no doubt but to beat Corofin they will need to produce a special performance as Corofin are All Ireland champions and favourites to retain that title for a reason.
6-5 Was that a cracking soccer game or crap Gaelic football game in Enniscrone yesterday?
The Tubber v Aghawillan game will be, I believe, much different to Sunday. I’ve seen a bit of Leitrim football over the last few years and they do not play that allout defensive style. I’m told that the Plunkett brothers are players to look out for, all 3 capable of scoring and the main scorers in the Leitrim final. Aghawillan are probably, with Longford’s Mullinlaghta, the smallest club in the country to win Senior titles in the country but what they lack in size the make up for in spirit.
Hi Anne-Marie, just to clarify a few things. Eamon is the joint manager with Gerry McGowan.Also tubber had 24 behind the ball wgen they didnt have possession. And their keep ball for last 15 when they had an extra man was not very attractive either.
I agree with you in some respects about the negative gameplan. However we were without 3 starting forwards and another went off after 10 minutes so they obviously thought they couldn’t win in shoot out so changed the tactics. However having seen Ballintubber i think they showed them too much respect. They looked very ordinary. Only 1 point from play in 70 minutes football. Sending off was the deciding factor and teams from big counties always get those decisions in their favour.
In fairness with 24 men behind the ball tourlestrane had no chance.
Mayomagic… I know too well…I’ve played Corofin a few times in the Galway championship this decade but they aren’t as far ahead this year as in previous seasons…either others have improved or they’ve gone back. Me thinks the latter.
I’m assuming we can expect an appeal from tourlestrane what with ballintubber having 9 extra players on the pitch…
Oops sorry about that. Predictive text. 14 of course is ejat i meant:)
@Tipper. I think your point is well made however. It takes two to tango. To be honest I can’t wait for new experimental rules. Watching up to fifty basic uncontested hand passes while the opposing team retreats into zonal defensive positions is not football. Over coaching of possession at all costs is taking the flair out of football imo.
Corofin will improve from game to game and I would not be writing them off.
The team I really like is Belmullet in intermediate. Great blend of physicality and skill, experience and youth. Onwards and upwards for them!!
Anyone out there know what the GAA rulebook says about adults wearing gumshields, compulsory or no ? I know there compulsory for underage.
Compulsory Stephen, can be carded for not having and sent to side
Are season tickets valid for the Connacht Club matches. Hoping to get to Tuam on Sat to watch the intermediate semi final.
Thanks Gizmobobs,I was thinking that,Refs must be turning a blind eye to it of late,lost count of how many players Ive seen without them, both club and county.
Season tickets are only valid within your own county