Garry’ draw more comfort from stalemate

Mayo SFC Group 4 – Round 2 

Garrymore 0-13 

Castlebar Mitchels 2-7 

Mike Kelly in Garrymore 

For the second game in succession Castlebar Mitchels were unable to hold on to a healthy second-half lead and were hauled in by their opponents for a share of the spoils in an entertaining Mayo SFC clash under the lights in Garrymore last Saturday night.

The Division 1 league finalists were full value for a six points lead but a rush of blood to the head by goalkeeper Rory Byrne saw him sin-binned in the 50th minute and it all fell apart for Barry Moran’s side from there.

Garrymore were already on the comeback trail before Byrne’s red card, halving the deficit in the previous few minutes, but it proved the catalyst for the South Mayo side to push on and in the end it was the visitors who were clinging on for the draw.

It didn’t look like the home side would be able to pull Castlebar Mitchels back when Ciaran Mylett rifled a shot to the roof of the net just before the half-time break to put five between the teams.

Garrymore hit six wides in the opening period, generally being forced to shoot from distance on the right wing as Mitchels dropped every single player inside their own ’45 whenever Garrymore had the ball, closing off every avenue to goal.

Even when the home side were down to 14 men, after a black card was shown to Justin Commins, Castlebar Mitchels kept dropping everyone inside their own defensive area.

Aaron Hughes, Mark Gibbons and Caolan Crowe had Garrymore in the lead after seven minutes but that was turned around thanks to scores from James Durcan, Mylett, Rory Byrne, Ethan Gibbons and Ultan O’Reilly.

Trevor Nally pulled one back for Garrymore but a late point by Durcan and Mylett’s goal left five between them at the change of ends, 1-6 to 0-4.

Garrymore needed a bright start to the second-half and in a way, they got that when Colin Commins and Shane Nally closed the gap to three points, but an excellent individual goal from John MacMonagle, a 2022 Mayo minor, seemed to put the game out of Garrymore’s reach. The corner-back received the ball on the ’45 before driving straight at the Garrymore goal. The home side’s defence split open in front of him and he fired across the goal into the bottom corner from eight metres out.

A Rory Byrne free moments later would prove to be Mitchels’ only other score of the half as Garrymore grew into the game and pinned their more vaunted opponents back. Points from Mark Gibbons, Trevor Nally and Cathal Slattery bringing them to within three before Byrne’s black card.

The Mitchels goalkeeper had found himself caught in possession on the Garrymore ’45 and as the hosts broke upfield, he pulled down an attacking player and was given his marching orders.

Points by Liam Horkan and Darren Quinn, two frees, would bring the home team level and they even had two chances to win the match but a Trevor Nally free drifted wide and in the 64th minute, Quinn saw his long-range effort drop inches short into the grateful hands of Rory Byrne who had returned to the fold.

Speaking after the game, Garrymore goalkeeper Ciaran McGrath admitted there was slight disappointment at not capping the comeback with a win.

“The initial feeling is that we probably left it behind us but it’s a draw that does feel like a win because it leaves things in our own hands going into the game against Charlestown.

“Sometimes the team six points up drops their intensity and the team coming from behind has nothing to lose and really goes for it and starts winning kickouts and getting the rub of the green, and slowly but surely we pulled them back.” Scorers – Garrymore: Mark Gibbons, Trevor Nally (1f) and Darren Quinn (2f) 0-2 each, Aaron Hughes, Shane Nally (m), Caolan Crowe, Colin Commins, Cathal Slattery, Jamie Hession and Liam Horkan 0-1 each.

Castlebar: Ciaran Mylett 1-1, John MacMonagle 1-0, James Durcan and Rory Byrne (2f) 0-2 each, Ethan Gibbons (f) and Ultan O’Reilly 0-1 each.

Garrymore: Ciaran McGrath; Patrick Hession, Caolan Crowe, Colin Commins; Enda Hession, Liam Horkan, David Dolan; Gary Golden, Cathal Slattery; Shane Nally, Mark Gibbons, Justin Commons; Darren Quinn, Aaron Hughes, Trevor Nally. Subs: Brendan Walsh (for J Commins), Jamie Hession (for Golden), Kenneth Lydon (for Hughes), Conor Lydon (for Horkan), Micheal Connolly (for Gibbons).

Castlebar Mitchels: Rory Byrne; Donnacha McHugh, Joe Tuohy, John MacMonagle; James Cunningham, Johnny Maughan, Ultan O’Reilly; Gavin Durcan, Bob Tuohy; Sean Morahan, Paddy Heneghan, Anthony O’Boyle; Ethan Gibbons, Ciaran Mylett, James Durcan. Subs: Jack O’Reilly (for Cunningham), Mark Moore (for Gibbons), Neil Douglas (for G Durcan), Mark Dolan (for Mylett), Donie Newcombe (for Moore).

REF: Paul Lydon (Kiltimagh)