Mayo Club Championship: Friday round-up
Belmullet's Ryan O'Donoghue scored a pair of two-pointers in their win over Knockmore. Picture: Sportsfile
Where one game had a distinct lack of drama, the other more than made up for it as the Mayo Senior Football Championship began yesterday (Friday) evening.
The potential banana skin for Castlebar Mitchels against Balla never materialised as the county town men ran out 12-point winners in Nally Park.
By the time Oisin Cronin converted a free for Balla's first score in the 18th minute, Mitchels had hit six points on the spin, including an Ethan Gibbons two-point free.
The home side only scored one more point in the half as Mtichels continued their dominance to lead 0-12 to 0-2 at half-time, a lead that could have been more had Patrick McLoughlin not cleared a Bob Tuohy chance for goal onto the post.
Mitchels secured the win six minutes into the second half with a well-taken goal by Cian Walsh. Balla had an improved display in the second half but the Mitchels added a second goal on 50 minutes through Anthony O'Boyle to put the exclamation point on an impressive victory.
The good times keep rolling for Belmullet as a late penalty from Fionn O'Donoghue secured the win away in Knockmore.
Shane Nallen opened the scoring for the visitors but it would be their only score of the half. Ryan O'Donoghue missed a penalty and had another chance cleared off the line as Knockmore led 0-5 to 0-1 at the break.
Ryan O'Donoghue put the penalty miss behind him with a pair of two pointers but sandwiched in between was an Aiden Orme's goal for Ray Dempsey's side to put Knockmore 1-6 to 0-5 in front.
Anthony Barrett played a key role in Belmullet taking their lead once again, first with a two-pointer before setting up Eamon McAndrew for their first goal.
Knockmore thought they had won it late on with a two-pointer of their own, but Belmullet were awarded a penalty in injury-time when Barrett was fouled in the area, and Fionn O'Donoghue sent Colm Reape the wrong way for another big win on the road in their opening game after beating Castlebar Mitchels last year.
