O’Shea inspires Breaffy to solve another ‘Port problem

Mayo SFC Quarter-Final 

Breaffy 1-10 

Westport 0-12 

Anthony Hennigan in Breaffy 

The Indian summer may have disappeared but Breaffy’s Indian sign over Westport remains, after last year’s beaten county finalists took one step closer towards another final appearance with the narrowest of wins over the 2022 champions on Sunday.

It’s the second year in succession that Breaffy have beaten their West Mayo rivals at the quarter-final stage, and they also dumped them from the 2020 championship, but the latest is sometimes the sweetest.

“Kick it Aido, kick it,” dared the Westport players of Aidan O’Shea when he stood over a 45-metre free in the first-half. They obviously doubted the Breaffy full-forward’s ability to kick the ball between their posts, which is exactly what he did, off the outside of his boot, for his second of six points in another superb display by this year’s All-Star nominee. Five of those points were from frees, a couple of them high-pressure kicks from tight angles, while he was also bitterly annoyed to have a 38th minute goal ruled out by referee Shane Corcoran who sided with Westport full-back Lee Keegan’s claims that O’Shea was the one doing the fouling. He’s not the first referee to have decided that.

In fairness to Corcoran, Breaffy’s opening two points were derived from frees awarded for fouls against O’Shea, who both times was picked out by Davitt Neary, a real playmaker for the home side during the opening 30 minutes. But with Aidan O’Shea the only Breaffy forward to score from play, it’s fair to say Westport – the pre-match favourites – will have returned to Clew Bay with a sack full of regrets, especially having taken the lead for a fourth time in the match as late as the 57th minute.

The first-half goal was a scrappy one for Westport to concede and losing Oisin McLaughlin to injury in the third quarter was also a massive blow for Martin Connolly’s troops; together with brother Finbar, the pair were undoubtedly Westport’s best players and between them had scored five points from play by the 36th minute. The Coveys very nearly snatched victory out of the bag in second-half stoppage time, with a shot by substitute Alan Kennedy destined for the top left corner until corner-back James Minogue intervened and clawed the ball away to safety. That’s how fine the margins between these two, with home advantage certainly worth the point that separated them.

Weather conditions were poor to begin with and deteriorated rapidly before half-time but that brought a jeopardy that only added to the entertainment. The sides were level on three occasions inside the opening 14 minutes, with a pair of Aidan O’Shea frees and one by Pierce Deane countered by Westport points from Oisin McLaughlin, Conal Dawson, a free, and Killian Kilkelly, a free. McLaughlin’s second of the half, kicked from an identical position to the first, out on the left wing, preceded one by his brother Finbar, after Paul Lambert won a midfield break, and so the visitors were 0-5 to 0-3 ahead after 17 minutes.

With Deane and Dawson exchanging frees, the two points gap remained up until Breaffy plundered the game’s only goal three minutes before the interval. There was no great invention to it, with goalkeeper John Vahey’s 40-metre free dropping against the crossbar and bobbling around the back post where Matthew Ruane managed to knock the ball into the net.

A third pointed free by O’Shea, this one from a tricky angle on the right wing, pushed Sean Deane’s team into a 1-5 to 0-6 lead and while Westport pegged one back before the break, courtesy of Finbar McLaughlin, Breaffy held a one point advantage at the break with the benefit of the breeze still to come.

The rain was falling in sheets at this stage and small ponds had emerged all across the pitch but it was Westport who made the better start to the new half, with Paddy O’Malley driving a 47-metre free between the posts before Finbar McLaughlin’s third point from play (shooting for goal might also have been an option) regained the visitors a one point lead.

It was then that Aidan O’Shea felt he had scored a perfectly legitimate major, holding off Keegan and swinging a big arm at James Minogue’s long range delivery to send the ball looping over Paddy O’Malley and into the net. The umpires and referee decided otherwise yet O’Shea was soon causing bother again, receiving a Niall Carter pass and seeing his kick high into the clouds reemerge and fall inches over O’Malley’s crossbar, for a 40th minute equalising point. It ended up the only score from play by a Breaffy forward.

O’Shea sent his side in front again in the 47th minute, 1-7 to 0-9, when punishing a pick off the ground by Luke Tunney, but Conal Dawson ended a 13-minute scoreless spell to level the game for a sixth time, with Westport taking the lead once again three minutes shy of the hour mark as wing-back Ronan Geraghty belted one over from the right wing.

Westport, however, were fortunate not to concede a second goal when ‘keeper O’Malley dropped a free kicked in by his opposite number Vahey, as Pierce Deane first-timed the loose ball just past the post. But it was Deane who held his nerve to level matters again from a 58th minute free and O’Shea who sent the home side back in front, when nailing a free won by Davitt Neary in the first of what turned into five minutes of stoppage time.

O’Shea fetched Westport’s subsequent kickout too, launching a move that resulted in Matthew Ruane doubling Breaffy’s lead. Westport didn’t lie down though, and while Kennedy had his late goal effort kept out, there was still time for Killian Kilkelly to halve their arrears from a free – but not enough time for ‘Port to unearth a leveller.

Breaffy are gallantly refusing to let go of that dream of a first-ever Moclair Cup victory.

Scorers – Breaffy: Aidan O’Shea 0-6 (5f), Matthew Ruane 1-1, Pierce Deane 0-1f.

Westport: Finbar McLaughlin and Conal Dawson (2f) 0-3 each, Oisin McLaughlin and Killian Kilkelly (2f) 0-2 each, Paddy O’Malley (f) and Ronan Geraghty 0-1.

Breaffy: John Vahey; Conor Melly, Mark Dervan, James Minogue; David Livingstone, Robbie Fadden, Yousif Coghill; Niall Carter, Matthew Ruane; Aidan Cunningham, Conor O’Shea, Davitt Neary; Tommy O’Reilly, Aidan O’Shea, Pierce Deane. Subs: Rory Martyn (for Cunningham 42), Keith Mulchrone (for Livingstone 55), Joe Mellett (for O’Reilly 60+5).

Westport: Paddy O’Malley; Brian McDermott, Niall McManamon, Luke Tunney; Ronan Geraghty, Rory Brickenden, Paul Lambert; Lee Keegan, Eoghan McLaughlin; Conal Dawson, Mark Moran, Finbar McLaughlin; Oisin McLaughlin, Joe Grady, Killian Kilkelly. Subs: Colm Moran (for Grady ht), Alan Kennedy (for O McLaughlin 42, inj), Liam Shevlin (for M Moran 60+1).

REF: Shane Corcoran (Islandeady)