Champions are untroubled by Mitchels
Eoin Enright of Castlebar Mitchels breaks away from Tooreen’s Michael Morley during the Mayo senior hurling championship opening round match at Josie Munnelly Park last Saturday evening. Pictures: David Farrell Photography
Tooreen’s drive for five Mayo senior hurling titles in-a-row began with an emphatic 14-point win against Castlebar Mitchels on Saturday evening.
Fergal Boland, Eoin Delaney and Oisín Greally all struck five points for the visitors at Josie Munnelly Park as they made light work of Mitchels.
It was evenly matched in the opening quarter, but Tooreen would seize control and not allow Castlebar back into the contest. Boland’s entire tally came in the first-half, and he struck his side’s first three points from play. Corey Scahill replied from frees for Castlebar and kept the gap at one. Eoin Delaney’s free and David Delaney’s effort from play put Tooreen three ahead.
Mitchels turned over the ball well high up the pitch and Colm Enright struck their first from play and Scahill buried another free to make it a one-point game again. The next three points belonged to Tooreen however, and they never really looked back following this. Oisin Casey scored Tooreen’s sixth point. Boland set up Eoin Delaney for a goal chance and Delaney struck the post. It came back out to Boland who fired over. Oisin Greally scored his first of five to put Tooreen four ahead.
Enright scored from play to which Boland replied and Scahill put his fourth free over. Tooreen added two further scores through Greally and Fionn Delaney, a free, to make it 0-11 to 0-6 at half-time.
The warning signs had been there for Castlebar in the first-half and in the second, Tooreen truly established dominance over the game. They chipped in with occasional scores through Scahill’s free-taking and Enright scored from a dead ball late on, but Tooreen were adding points for fun.
It was a tough outing for Castlebar, but they will have been delighted that Tooreen did not leave Josie Munnelly Park with a goal. Martin Parsons deserves credit for keeping out Fionn Delaney’s second-half effort, getting his hurl across to block a goal-bound shot.
Eoin Delaney scored the pick of the points from play, scoring with a deadly strike from deep and the in-form forward also popped over a ’65. Fionn Delaney brought his tally to 0-4 with three points in the second-half and Oisin Greally found the target on three more occasions. Daniel Huane scored two points late on and Joseph Boyle ventured forward from wing-back to score a cracker.
Scorers – Tooreen: Oisín Greally, Fergal Boland and Eoin Delaney (2f, 1 ’65) 0-5 each, Fionn Delaney 0-4 (3f), Daniel Huane 0-2, David Delaney, Oisin Casey and Joseph Boyle 0-1 each.
Castlebar Mitchels: Corey Scahill 0-7 (6f), Colm Enright 0-3 (1f).
Tooreen: Bobby Douglas; Jack Trench, Conal Hession, Michael Morley; Joseph Boyle, Stephen Coyne, David Kenny; Daniel Huane, Oisin Casey; Eoin Delaney, Oisín Greally, David Delaney; Fionn Delaney, Fergal Boland, Fionnan Burke. Subs: David Harrison, Padraig Mooney, Shane Crinnigan, James Byrne, Darren Murray.
Castlebar Mitchels: Martin Parsons; David Conlon, James Lowe, Ronan Treacy; Lucas Kenny, Liam Mullins, Conor Murray; Corey Scahill, Conor Donaldson; Colm Enright, James Lyons, Pearce Murray; Eoin Enright, Connor Martin, Barry Lane. Subs: Alan Gavin, John Kennedy, Paul Mongey.
REF: Michael Herr (Crossmolina)
