Castle’ conquer their visitors from the south
Castlebar Mitchels defender Johnny Maughan holds onto possession despite a challenge from The Neale's Evan Lydon. Pictures: Conor McKeown
The likelihood of neither Tommy Conroy or Tom Lydon, The Neale’s pair of All-Ireland panellists, managing a single score from play would have generated miniscule odds, but that’s exactly what happened on Sunday lunchtime in a low quality intermediate championship clash with Castlebar Mitchels ‘B’, Mitchels, of course, won’t worry too much about the aesthetics of their victory, and it should be said the home side coped far better with the wet and overcast conditions. But as a spectacle, this match failed to get the pulses racing, with The Neale managing fewer scores (six) than Castlebar Mitchels made changes (eight) to their team which had appeared in the match programme.
A lot more would have been expected of The Neale, and of Conroy and Lydon, but a combination of poor supply to the attack and, it should be said, some excellent defending by Johnny Maughan and in particular, Brian McDonnell, left an uphill challenge for the visitors.
Mitchels led from start to finish, with early frees by Ciaran Mylett and Eoghan Hughes sandwiching points from play by Hughes and Conor Stenson, a particularly classy finish off the outside of the right boot. Tom Lydon kicked all three of The Neale’s first-half points, comprised of a 10th minute free and a 21st minute two-point free, but Robbie Hughes did have an attempt on Castlebar’s goal cleared off the line in between.
Tommy Conroy also threatened the home side’s net in the 25th minute but Gary Filan got back in the nick of time to knock the ball from the full-forward’s grasp at the expense of a ’45. Daithí Butler failed to convert that, having missed one earlier as well, and by half-time The Neale had dropped four scoring attempts short and kicked another four wide, as a 29th minute converted free by Ben Joyce saw Castlebar take a 0-5 to 0-3 lead into the dressing-room.
Eoghan Hughes and Tom Lydon, a free, traded points inside the first five minutes of the second-half before another point from Hughes and one by half-time sub Gavin Forry moved the hosts into a 0-8 to 0-4 advantage.
Castlebar also had two wonderful opportunities to score the game’s first goal in the 41st minute. Jack O’Reilly won a forward mark and when his kick struck an upright and rebounded into his arms, The Neale goalkeeper Cian Hughes saved O’Reilly’s shot on goal while corner-back Eoin O’Dea blocked Stevie Keane’s follow up attempt.
You can imagine then it felt a potential turning point when The Neale raised green at the opposite end less than a minute later, as Jamie Kelly drilled home what was their first score from play to leave them just a point adrift. But it was as close as the South Mayo outfit would get to their hosts, who kicked for home with four straight points by Keane, Stenson, two, and Ben Joyce, a ’45, to lead by five points, 0-12 to 1-4, with as many minutes of normal time remaining.
A free by Lydon was negated by a fourth point by the excellent Conor Stenson and when a goal was badly needed by The Neale, substitute David McGrath was unfortunate to see his 60th minute shot whistle inches over the Castlebar crossbar for what was the final score of the game – and The Neale’s only white flag from play.
Scorers – Castlebar Mitchels: Eoghan Hughes (1f) and Conor Stenson 0-0-4 each, Ben Joyce 0-0-2 (1f, ’45), Ciaran Mylett (f), Stevie Keane and Gavin Forry 0-0-1 each.
The Neale: Tom Lydon 0-1-3 (1tpf, 3f), Jamie Kelly 1-0-0, David McGrath 0-0-1.
Castlebar Mitchels ‘B’: Aaron McHale; Brian McDonnell, Johnny Maughan, Kylum Chambers; Jack O’Reilly, Fergal Durkan, Seanie O’Reilly; Ben Joyce, Brendan Gaughan; Conor Stenson, Gary Filan, James Cunningham; Eoghan Hughes, Ciaran Mylett, Stevie Keane. Subs: Eoghan McHale (for Gaughan 24, inj), Gavin Forry (for Mylett ht), Luke Ruddy (for Durkan 35), Conor Kavanagh (for Cunningham 45), Harry McHale (for Keane 55), Eoghan O’Reilly (for S O’Reilly 58).
The Neale: Cian Hughes; Eoin O’Dea, Micheál Varley, Harry Costello; Killian McHugh, Dan Kelly, Daithí Butler; Darragh Moran, Jamie Kelly; Brian Holleran, James Luskin, Ronan Hughes; Robbie Hughes, Tommy Conroy, Tom Lydon. Subs: Evan Lydon and Stephen Conroy (for Holleran and Ronan Hughes ht), David McGrath (for Luskin 45), Stephen Morrin (for D Kelly 55).
REF: Garryowen McMahon (Davitts)
