Injury-time drama puts Aghamore out in cruel way
Breaffy's Aidan O'Shea was on song again, kicking seven points. Picture: James Osborne
Aghamore crashed out of the senior championship after three injury-time points for Breaffy saw their scoring difference take enough of a hit to allow Ballintubber sneak through in their place.
For much of this game it looked like the East Mayo men had done enough to at least ensure second place in the group but a late burst of scores for Sean Deane’s side saw them come out on top by seven points.
A point from Matthew Ruane in the 64th minute, allied with Ballintubber’s two point win over Kilmeena, saw Aghamore drop to third in the group and ended their season.
Aghamore managed to keep Conor O’Shea and Davitt Neary scoreless across the hour and on most days that would be job almost done for any team if they want to come out on top against Breaffy but since Deane took the reins this has looked a different Breaffy team and led by the brilliant Aiden O’Shea they were full value for their victory.
Paul Hunt’s side will still be wondering how they have been left on the outside looking in as they whittled a seven point deficit back to a single point midway through the second-half and at that stage looked like they would run out comfortable winners and top the group.
With O’Shea on song at full forward Breaffy scored the opening seven points of the game. Five of those came from the boot of O’Shea including a beauty from the right wing which curled over the bar much to the delight of the Breaffy crown.
Aghamore, shooting into the tennis club end of the ground, faced into a gale force wind and driving rain and just couldn’t get a rhythm going. A Fergal Boland shot inside the 13m line was carried across the goal and stayed in play such was the strength of the wind.
Liam Lavin finally opened the Aghamore account on 24 minutes and Lavin, Tom O’Flaherty and Adam Byrne would to that before the break, leaving four between the sides.
The second-half was all about Aghamore and their attempted comeback. Breaffy inexplicably retreated to 14 men behind the ball at all times and moved Aidan O’Shea into a makeshift centre back role which denied them an outlet when the ball was turned over.
A Lavin brace and a fine effort from Boland left one between the sides with 16 minutes left to play and Aghamore with all the possession. Word started filtering through from Islandeady and everything looked rosy for the East Mayo men.
With the possibility of losing out on a home quarter final staring them in the face Breaffy opted to move O’Shea back up the field and with it an immediate transformation in their fortunes.
Suddenly they could move the ball out of defence and the scores started coming once more. Two frees from the left by O’Shea and a ’45 from John Vahey increased the lead to four.
Even at that stage Aghamore knew they were through to the last eight and started playing like a side trying to keep the score within the acceptable margins. However, that’s a dangerous game to play and it caught them when Tommy O’Reilly, Livingstone and Ruane all pointed in injury-time.
