Fionn fires Belmullet to eye-catching win in Knockmore
Belmullet’s James Lavelle and Knockmore’s Charlie Bourke in a race for possession during Friday night's Mayo SFC Group 4 clash at St Joseph's Park in Knockmore. Pictures: David Farrell Photography
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Friday night football was a new departure for the Mayo Senior Football Championship and not for the first time in recent seasons, the clash of North Mayo rivals Knockmore and Belmullet did not disappoint.
On what was an ideal evening for football, and with Breaffy and Ballaghaderreen also locking horns in the same group at the weekend, the two points up for grabs in St Joseph’s Park could go a long way to determining who makes the final eight of this year’s championship.
A late rally by Belmullet, which included a penalty goal and a point by Fionn O’Donoghue, helped secure the Erris visitors a precious win.
Goalkeeper Shane Nallen opened Belmullet’s account with five minutes on the clock as his ’45 struck against the wind sailed between the posts. Little was anyone to know that this would be the visitors’ only score of the opening half.
Adam Naughton replied instantly for Knockmore, raising a white flag with a fisted point at the opposite end. Connell Dempsey quickly followed this up with a two point free from outside of the 45-metre line, leaving Knockmore with a two point cushion. Minutes later Belmullet had the opportunity to regain the lead.
Darragh Dixon was fouled in the Knockmore square in the 14th minute but goalkeeper Colm Reape was equal to Ryan O’Donoghue’s penalty effort. O’Donoghue came close again three minutes later as he was picked out inside the Knockmore backline by Nallen. The Mayo and Belmullet sharpshooter rounded the onrushing Reape but saw his goal-bound effort blocked on the goal line.
Although the final ten minutes of the half saw Knockmore struggle to convert their dominance of the ball into scores on the board, they did double their advantage and leave the field four points to the good at halftime. Dempsey added his third with a point from play and Aiden Orme converted a free from close range to leave Knockmore 0-5 to 0-1 ahead.
Six minutes after the resumption of play, Ryan O’Donoghue opened his account for the evening, halving his side’s deficit with a brilliant curling two point effort from near the sideline. The hosts had an instant response however, that came in the form of the game’s first green flag. Charlie Bourke rose to field a long ball into the Knockmore forward line before feeding the oncoming Aiden Orme who finished emphatically into the roof of the Belmullet net. This was quickly followed by a single from Pearse Ruttledge, extending Knockmore’s lead to six points.
O’Donoghue was at hand again for the visitors to fire over a two point free before Shane Nallen added his second point from a ’45 to leave just a goal between the sides as the game entered the final quarter. It was in this period that Anthony Barrett came to the fore, helping to continue the Belmullet charge, dropping over a two pointer from play.
Peter Naughton was sprung from the Knockmore bench and he ended his side’s eighteen minute scoreless spell with a point from play with five to play. However, Belmullet had the ball in the back of the net a minute later. Barrett played through the freshly introduced Eamon McAndrew who punched the ball into the back of the net, claiming the lead for the Erris side.
Knockmore momentarily edged ahead again when Dempsey struck over a two point free with a fine strike off the deck but Belmullet weren’t finished yet. With the contest entering stoppage time, Anthony Barrett was fouled inside the Knockmore square and Fionn O’Donoghue stepped forward to slot the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. He quickly followed this up with a point from play to leave Belmullet the victors by three.
Scorers – Belmullet: Fionn O’Donoghue 1-0-1 (1-0pen), Ryan O’ Donoghue 0-2-0 (1tpf), Eamon McAndrew 1-0-0, Anthony Barrett 0-1-0, Shane Nallen 0-0-2 (2 ‘45s).
Knockmore: Connell Dempsey 0-2-1 (2tpf), Aiden Orme 1-0-1 (0-1f), Adam Naughton, Pearse Ruttledge and Peter Naughton 0-0-1 each.
Knockmore: Colm Reape; Nathan Armstrong, David McHale, Ryan Casey; Adam Naughton, Kieran King, Aaron Timlin; Pearse Ruttledge, Connell Dempsey; Tom Clarke, Shane McHale, Adam Battle; Conor Flynn, Aiden Orme, Charlie Bourke. Subs: Dylan Coleman (for Flynn), Caolan Hopkins (for Bourke), Peter Naughton (for Battle), Ollie Armstrong (for Clarke), Tadhg Staunton (for A Naughton).
Belmullet: Shane Nallen; James Lavelle, Colin Barrett, Shea O’Donoghue; James Ivers, Eoin O’Donoghue, James O’Donnell; Evan Ivers, Seamus Howard; Darragh Dixon, Anthony Barrett, James Kelly; Fionn O’Donoghue, Ryan O’Donoghue, Jack Lynch. Subs: Padraic Cowman (for Dixon), Eamon McAndrew (for Lynch), Seamie O’Reilly (for Howard), Dara Padden (for A Barrett).
REF: Shane Corcoran (Islandeady)
