Night of twists and turns for top flight clubs 

Ballina Stephenites booked their ticket to this season’s AbbVie Mayo SFL Division 1 final by virtue of Friday nights 0-18 to 1-13 win against Castlebar Mitchels.

Mitchels are safe from relegation but chased the game like a side who couldn’t be sure of that, with only results elsewhere on the evening meaning Kevin Filan’s team can’t be leapfrogged in the final round.

The visitors, it’s worth noting, were down their entire county contingent of Paddy Durcan, Bob Tuohy, John MacGonagle and Sean Morahan, whereas Ballina Stephenites, minus Sam Callinan, were able to call upon their Mayo fringe players, namely Dylan Thornton, Frank Irwin and Liam Golden.

All three had a significant impact, so too Evan Regan who marked his first appearance of the season with a trio of two-pointers. Ballina kicked five to Castlebar’s two on a stilly evening on Moyside, a crucial difference in the context of a two points win – their seventh in eight league games.

Favourites to join Ballina in the Division 1 final are Westport who ran out 4-8 t0 2-10 winners away to Belmullet, also on Friday evening. Westport sit second in the table, two points ahead of Crossmolina Deel Rovers and with a final round game at home to bottom of the table Claremorris to come. The Coveys had trailed 0-6 to 0-1 early doors in Tallagh and later by 1-6 to 0-5 but quickfire second-half goals helped turn the tie in their favour.

The aformentioned Claremorris lost 1-16 to 0-14 at home to Ballintubber, who moved away from the relegation places as a result, while Crossmolina eked out a narrow 1-13 to 0-15 home win against Garrymore. Crossmolina would need to win in Ballintubber in their final game and hope Westport slip up at home to Claremorris to have any chance of reaching the Division 1 final.

One point was the difference between Breaffy and Knockmore, with the latter sneaking a 0-13 to 0-12 win away to their West Mayo opponents.

See Tuesday's Western People for full coverage.