Photo: Paul Kinnerk (@kinnerker) via Twitter
There was more club action on this weekend so, in case you haven’t seen what happened yet on that front, here’s a (very) quick round-up.
First up, the county Intermediate final, where earlier today at MacHale Park Ballyhaunis edged out Hollymount-Carramore by the minimum margin, winning the Sweeney Cup on a 0-12 to 0-11 scoreline. From the sounds of it, it was a bit of a shoot-out between the winners’ Niall Prenty (who bagged seven points) and the losers’ Darren Coen, who ended the match with eight points to his credit. Colm Gannon’s report on the match for the Mayo Advertiser is here.
Earlier at MacHale Park, the county Junior championship was also won by a single point, with Castlebar Mitchels claiming the title beating Achill by 1-10 to 3-3. Colm Gannon’s take on this one is here. The day’s curtain raiser in Castlebar was the Junior B championship final, which ended in a 1-12 each draw between Swinford and Westport.
The champo is also in full swing, by the way, up here in the capital at the minute. This weekend saw the Dublin SFC quarter-finals being played and this resulted in two fairly big shocks, with a Brogan-fuelled Plunketts dumping out a distinctly out-of-sorts Ballymun Kickhams yesterday while today a 3-5 contribution to the scoreboard by Kevin McManamon helped St Jude’s overcome fancied St. Brigid’s. My local club, St. Vincents saw off Templeogue Synge Street yesterday, helped in no small way by a 3-4 haul from Mossy Quinn. The semi-final draw has paired Vinnies with Ballyboden St. Enda’s while Plunketts will play Jude’s.
Vinnys were very lucky yesterday 🙂
When are the Dublin semis on WJ? Hopefully not the same weekend as our own final. Had hoped to make yesterday’s games but time went against me. Heard the Vincent’s game was level at half time … must have been a serious second half!
If Junior, Junior B and Intermediate finals have been played what is the curtain raiser for the Senior final? Which I understand is on 19th. Could it be the Minor final?
Meantime good to Ballyhaunis and Achill in Connacht. I think Ballyhaunis are playing the Leitrim champions away on the 19th but may be wrong.
I assume Mitchell’s B team will now be intermediate next season? And achill will stay junior? Similar to crossmolina and Ballina second teams in the mid 2000s. Achill will compete in the Connaught junior championship though as it’s only for exclusively junior clubs.
The Dublin semis are on the weekend of the 19th, dates and times to be announced today. The first half of Saturday’s match was pretty even – Vincents went five up but TSS then had a good spell and a goal levelled it up before the break – but Vinnies really opened up in the second half. They were 16/17 up at one stage but TSS then got two goals in the last few minutes to bring a healthier look to the scoreboard. Vinnies are going well this year – they started the All-Ireland winning fifteen again on Saturday (as they did in the last round) and with Ballymun and Brigid’s both gone they’ll be strongly fancied to come through Dublin again.
Damn, I was hoping they wouldn’t be that weekend. Will be west watching our own! Cheers WJ. Was surprised to see Ballymun going out with such a whimper. Hard to see past Vincents alright.
It was a shock to see Ballymun go out alright but, from what I saw (I got there for the second half and they were well behind at that stage) they were a complete shambles. The two Burkes (the Ardnaree lads) were only listed in the subs, as was Philly McMahon though James Burke and McMahon did come on. Jason Whelan (the bitey lad) was sent off for them near the end but they were well beaten by then.
Well done to the Mitchels lads yesterday. Really has been a terrific 12 months for the club. It’s a shame they can’t go on to represent Mayo further this year.
It was a horrid day yesterday, the wind played a huge part in the Junior game (I didn’t see the Inmdt) but Mitchels did very well to snatch a win against that breeze in the second half. Was brilliant to see how much it meant to them too.
I wonder what the story is now, can they compete in the intermediate championship?
Yah they’ll be intermediate alright next year, have a good group of players there in that junior team will ruffle a few feathers next year in intermediate. If they had their shooting boots on them they could have won by much more. Big ask for Achill to go on now and try and get themselves together for the Connacht championship, but Killala did it before.
What Tom Morley & Ballyhaunis achieved yesterday is nothing short of remarakable.
To go from winning just 2 matches in all of last season, and indeed could barely field a team in one fixture, to county champions in a year is an achievement outside of the norm.
Fair enough , an Allstar shines in any Intermediate game and Keith Higgins did just that, but in Niall Prenty (7 points of Ballyhaunis’ 12), Morgan Lyons, Eoghan Collins, Conor Freeley and the rest this was no one man outfit. There was football all over the field.
Special mention to Declan Doyle, the 38 year old fullback who has played in front of 12 different goalkeepers in 19 years and Fergal Kelly, the former Mayo midfielder, who came back this year to help out.
Ballyhaunis men. They’re small but they’re wicked.
Hup the Town !!
Pretty sure Mitchell’s second team will be intermediate championship next year mayomark, I remember both crossmolina and Ballina b teams winning junior A titles and I think cross actually reached an intermediate quarter final in 2007/8 or thereabouts. Amazing how both clubs have gone backwards in the intervening years, to the point where they are struggling to stay senior now.
I know a manager can only use what resources he has, but I’m scratching my head at the Hollymount/Carramore use of the wind in the second half. Wouldn’t have called it intercounty standard, not having a go, but its a bit of a jump from trying to outthink a manager at county intermediate level and going up against the finest minds in inter county management
Serious cash being put on James Horan for the Donegal job has seen him come in from 33-1 outsider with Boyle sports to the 11-4 favourite. Paddy power have also slashed his odd to 4-1 from 20-1 yesterday. How would people feel about this?!
Honestly can’t imagine horan going near the Donegal job..he has a busy day job and five kids…unless he clones himself..think its pie in the sky talk personally.
@ east cork exile – I was thinking the same myself as the game wore on yesterday. Was expecting to see a change of tactics… especially up front but the same strategy was deployed right up to the final whistle. Possibly a lack of resources – will give the manager the benefit of the doubt on this one.
What it shows is how a fool and his money is easily parted!
This is not the premiership, how could he do it with the commute and family, not to mention de fact Donegal are on the wane, why would he want it and to be bluntly honest why would they want him??
I don’t have a clue whether theres anything in this other than a speculative few quid being put down on an outsider in the market but (puckout) distance is not that big of an issue, Evans commutes Kilorgan Co.Kerry to roscommon, Paudi used to make the lengthy trip to Westmeath etc and them two examples are to counties with lesser expectations and less yoyos than Donegal.
AndyD
Triple header County Finals on 19th
Minor. B. 12 oc
Westport v Cill Chomain
Minor. A. 1-30
Moy Davitts v Claremorris.
Senior. 3-30
Castlebar v Ballintubber.
Hard Luck to Hollymount/Carramore and well done to Ballyhaunis altought their captain made a balls of his speech due to comment r.e Connelly and the Mayo job.