Breaffy find some old spark to send the champions packing

Mayo SFC Quarter-Final 

Breaffy 1-8 

Westport 0-9 

Stuart Tynan in Islandeady 

Nobody gave Breaffy a chance in this one. Not the bookmakers, who had Westport at 1/4 to win (Breaffy 11/2), not the media, not supporters across the county and most likely, not even Breaffy’s own fans, who arrived in their droves to Islandeady more in hope than in expectation of a shock.

No one bar the men inside the Breaffy dressing-room had the belief to pull off a victory but that is exactly what they did as, just like the 2021 semi-final, they inflicted another knockout blow to Westport to send the reigning Mayo senior football champions packing.

Aidan O’Shea and his brother Conor were the standouts for Breaffy. The former was a nightmare for the Westport defence and in this form is nigh on unmarkable, while Conor O’Shea won plenty of ball and drove at the Westport backline whenever he got a chance.

Incredibly, Breaffy didn’t score for the final 20 minutes but it mattered little as Westport’s attack misfired. Killian Kilkelly, Alan Kennedy and Fionn McDonagh all missed the target in the second-half and their frustration got the better of them in the end when McDonagh and Colm Moran were both sent-off in stoppage time.

Aidan O’Shea was quick to find his range early as he sent over a close-range free after Niall McManamon had initially opened the scoring for Westport. Eoghan McLoughlin and Tommy O’Reilly traded points from play but Westport would nudge 0-4 to 0-2 ahead through a free off the ground by Killian Kilkelly and a fine score by Pat Lambert, punishing wides by Matthew Ruane, Conor O’Shea and Michael Hall down at the other end.

A critical moment of this contest would take place at the end of the first quarter. After a brilliant run by Oisin Tunney, he put through Davitt Neary only for the wing-forward to be brought to the ground by Kevin Keane on his way to goal. Referee Eamon McAndrew stretched out his arms to award the penalty and also showed Keane a black card, before Robbie Fadden duly converted from the spot.

Aidan O’Shea extended Breaffy’s lead and fourteen men Westport were under the cosh. When you need your experienced men and leaders to step up, former Footballer of the Year Lee Keegan did just that as he fired over two trademark scores to level the game. But Breaffy would punish wides by Killian Kilkelly, Eoghan McLaughlin and Brian O’Malley, as Aidan’s second converted free and a point by Oisin Tunney but the Blue and White 1-5 to 0-6 ahead at the break.

Killian Kilkelly fired over his second free moments after the restart for Westport, before Conor O’Shea responded in kind. Davitt Neary pounced on a poor kickout by Paddy O’Malley to extend Breaffy’s lead and that was followed by a brilliant free from goalkeeper Jack Livingstone from 45-metres out to make it a four-point game on 39 minutes.

That, remarkably, ended up as Breaffy’s final point of the afternoon, with Westport upping the tempo and beginning to play more directly. Breaffy’s defending became increasingly ragged and Kilkelly punished persistent fouling with a pair of frees on 40 and 45 minutes.

But just as remarkably, those would also be Westport’s – and the game’s – final scores, as Breaffy dug in their heels and pushed back against the Coveys’ relentless attack.

Former Wicklow player Conor McGraynor was deployed from the bench in search of the goal that could have snatched an unlikely win, but the Westport forward division would misfire time after time. Kilkelly missed two frees and Alan Kennedy missed another, while in stoppage time Fionn McDonagh was shown a straight red card for an off-the-ball incident with James Minogue. Colm Moran followed shortly after when picked up a second yellow card.

Westport had one last chance when Pat Lambert lumped a ball into the square but Breaffy won it and Eamon McAndrew blew the full-time whistle to signal a famous win. Write them off at your peril.

Scorers – Breaffy: Aidan O’Shea 0-3 (2f), Robbie Fadden 1-0pen, Jack Livingstone (f), Conor O’Shea (f), Davitt Neary, Tommy O’Reilly and Oisin Tunney 0-1 each.

Westport: Killian Kilkelly 0-4f, Lee Keegan 0-2, Niall McManamon, Eoghan McLaughlin and Pat Lambert 0-1 each.

Breaffy: Jack Livingstone; Conor Beirne, Mark Dervan, Conor Melly; David Livingstone, Michael Hall, Daire Morrin; Conor O’Shea, Matthew Ruane; Davitt Neary, Robbie Fadden, Rory Martyn; Tommy O’Reilly, Aidan O’Shea, Oisin Tunney. Subs: James Minogue (for Hall 25, inj), Colm Flynn (for Tunney 49), Paddy Bourke (for Martyn 54), Pierce Deane (for Neary 58).

Westport: Paddy O’Malley; Niall McManamon, Rory Brickenden, Brian McDermott; Kevin Keane, Paul lambert, Eoghan McLaughlin; Lee Keegan, Brian O’Malley; Fionn McDonagh, Mark Moran, Pat Lambert; Luke Tunney, Colm Moran, Killian Kilkelly. Subs: Oisin McLaughlin (for Keane 24), Alan Kennedy (for Pat Lambert 37), Finbar McLaughlin (for M Moran 46), Conal Dawson (for O’Malley 54), Conor McGraynor (for Tunney 54).

REF: Eamon McAndrew (Belmullet)