Dark horse primed to seize the moment

The Mayo club championship has always been somewhat of a slow burn. Like fading embers in an autumnal fire, the opening rounds can be hesitant flames waiting to be coaxed into life as the evening becomes darker and there’s a bite in the air. That’s not to say the opening rounds of the championship don’t provide their fair share of entertainment and passion and storylines. They still bring out the crowds, and for good reason. They just lack that one crucial ingredient needed to create unmissable theatre – jeopardy.

But by the time the third round arrives, and the stakes immediately rise, there is no escaping the jeopardy. The manner in which the championship is structured means every team is vying for either a quarter-final berth, if not scrapping to avoid a relegation battle. And this year’s championship has played out to be no different. For the opening two rounds have set the scene for a riveting third act with the potential to make or break entire seasons within just 60 minutes of football. Even a collaboration between Shakespeare and Tarantino would struggle to create a script as captivating and erratic as Mayo club football.

Coming into the season, the Moclair Cup appeared to be a four-way battle between Ballina Stephenites, Castlebar Mitchels, Knockmore and Westport. On paper, they had the strongest squads, the best blend of youth and experience, the highest ceilings to target. But as the dust settles after two rounds of football, Westport and Ballina are the only two from the aforementioned to have paved a passage through to the quarter-finals with a game in hand and, given both play one another on neutral ground in the next round, only one of them can finish the group stage with an unblemished record.

Although the heavyweights all remain on course to contend for another title, none of them are without their vulnerabilities. And the gap back to the chasing back has been disappearing since the first ball was thrown up a few weeks ago. It means the championship is a wide open affair, with conditions ripe for an attack from an unexpected source. In a way, it’s perhaps not too dissimilar from this year’s inter-county season. All the fancied sides performed well below expectations, leaving an opening for Armagh to garner momentum and sail into their first All-Ireland final since 2003. The Orchard County ultimately capitalised on the shortcomings of every other contender and became an apt champion after an abundantly unpredictable season.

Of the other sides in the championship, Ballaghaderreen and Breaffy are emerging as the most likely to cause an upset as the autumn deepens. Outside of Westport and Ballina, they are the only clubs to have won their opening two games. Ballaghaderreen in particular have been hugely impressive, shaking up the championship by beating both Knockmore and Belmullet, two teams most people would’ve predicted to finish above the East Mayo club in their group. Such is the structure of Mayo football though, they have yet to secure a quarter-final berth and will be required to dig deep one final time against Claremorris if they are to secure their tag as the surprise package of this season.

Breaffy, on the other hand, have not given up on their quest of finally landing the Moclair Cup as they secured their quarter-final spot after a head-turning display against Ballintubber.

“Beware the fury of a patient man,” wrote the English poet John Dryden. And no club has been more patient than Breaffy over the years. Following last year’s final disappointment, they've now bounced back from a fifth county final defeat since 2013. Four horsemen will appear on the horizon before Breaffy go into a championship game without a spark. Though their first senior title still eludes them, they’re a team clearly still burning with desire and they remain a dangerous prospect for any club, as last season’s reigning champions Westport learned. And against Ballintubber on Sunday afternoon, they delivered perhaps the most impressive performance of the championship thus far.

Dangers are lurking around every corner for the primary contenders. In Group 1, Aghamore are creeping along under the radar and, after ensuring that they avoid a relegation battle, the pressure is off. More pertinently, the shackles are now also off. In a championship as wide open as this year’s, they cannot be discounted going into a knockout game against one of the major players. That sort of challenge may even play to their strengths.

Garrymore, too, has been doing what Garrymore has always done. Defying the odds has almost become the club’s identity. That they have survived for so long in the competition as a rural club is nothing short of remarkable, with little signs of that pattern changing any time soon. For such a consistent force in Mayo football, should an opening be afforded to a side outside the forerunners, no side would be more deserving of capitalising than Garrymore. A late leveller against Castlebar Mitchels on Saturday evening leaves them primed for yet another expedition through the knockout stages.

Only a foolish man would place a wager of significance on this year’s championship. The Mayo club championship has rarely failed to be a refuge for favourites, despite the thrilling moments it produces along the way. Generations have passed, governments have fallen, war has broken out, and the Moclair Cup ultimately lands in the hands of those who were expected to claim it. But the competition isn’t entirely immune from an upset. And the lesser fancied sides may never get a better chance to pounce and claim the biggest prize in Mayo sport.

It’s still early days, but there’s a strange scent in the air. Something smells different.