Super subs save the day for never-say-die Knockmore
Knockmore defender Kieran King takes control of this situation as Breaffy’s Tommy O’Reilly looks on. Picture: David Farrell Photography
Halloween is just over three weeks away but Breaffy’s extra-time display would not have been out of place in a horror flick as the Parish of Backs came back from the dead and back into the Mayo senior football final.
Two points up going into the second period of extra-time, and a man up following a red card to Pearse Ruttledge in the first period, Sean Deane’s men looked set to book a repeat of last year’s final with Ballina Stephenites. Less than a minute after the restart however, Breaffy were themselves down to 14 men after Conor Beirne was shown a straight red for a poor challenge on Knockmore substitute David McHale. It was another two Knockmore subs, Charlie Bourke and Billy Ruane, who would strike with killer goals to put the nails in Breaffy’s coffin for another year. Sean Deane’s men will be back again no doubt and having a full season under the former Mayo minor boss could well see Breaffy among the potential winners for 2025.
It is all about Knockmore, however. Injuries have beset the panel this year but they simply never know when they are beaten. On the cusp of finishing bottom of their group last month, they now stand one win away from another Moclair Cup and as well as the kids stepping up, men from their back-to-back successes of 2020 and 2021 such as Connell Dempsey, Pearse Ruttledge, Conor Flynn and Aiden Orme stood up when it mattered.
Aidan O’Shea, a free, and Darren McHale exchanged the opening points but Breaffy began to get some early control. They extended their lead through another O’Shea free and a point from the prominent Tommy O’Reilly.
Connell Dempsey fired over a beauty for Knockmore’s second but Breaffy’s excellent start continued and they hit three of the next four points through Tommy O’Reilly, a third Aidan O’Shea free and a peach from Pierce Deane, with Aiden Orme’s first placed ball Knockmore’s sole response.
Knockmore would finish the half strongly though, with three on the spin from Sean Holmes, Liam Durcan and another Dempsey stunner, to level matters at 0-6 apiece after 28 minutes. Two late points by Matthew Ruane would give Breaffy a deserved lead at the break, with Colm Reape’s free for Knockmore in added time leaving the bare minimum between them, 0-8 to 0-7.
The second-half developed into a game of who could hold their nerve, as both teams missed gilt-edged chances to win. The sides were level again on 39 minutes as Aidan O’Shea and Matthew Ruane’s efforts were met by responses from Keith Ruttledge and two Aiden Orme frees off the ground.
Singles by the Breaffy duo of Pierce Deane and substitute Mark Ward were matched by Orme and Pearse Ruttledge, the latter from a tight angle, before Conor Flynn edged Knockmore in front with 10 minutes remaining.
A lung-bursting run by Davitt Neary through the heart of the Knockmore defence was in vain as his shot was superbly blocked by Conor Flynn, while Neary played the part in a sweeping move on 54 minutes which also involved Pierce Deane. It looked like Tommy O’Reilly would finish to the net only for Colm Reape to show why he is Mayo’s number one with a sensational save.
Knockmore appeared to be holding on but Reape was then caught in possession on 58 minutes and Breaffy won a free, which was sent over by Aidan O’Shea from a difficult angle. The North Mayo men still had a chance to win but Orme, flawless from frees up until this point, fluffed his lines while O’Shea had a chance to win it himself in stoppage-time but his free from 55 metres dropped short and sent the second semi-final of the day at Mayo GAA headquarters to extra-time at 0-13 each.
Pierce Deane nailed a great free before disaster looked to have struck for Knockmore when Pearse Ruttledge was given his marching orders for an off-the-ball-incident. Breaffy moved two clear through Robbie Fadden and Conor O’Shea, with Darren McHale sending over Knockmore’s sole effort of the first period.
It appeared everything was aligning for Breaffy until Conor Beirne saw red in more ways than one and was sent-off. Matters got worse for the Blue and White as Charlie Bourke captialised on a point attempt dropped short by Aiden Orme to bundle home on 72 minutes.
Pierce Deane drew Breaffy back level from a free but on 75 minutes, Knockmore were in dreamland as Bourke turned provider this time around to set-up Billy Ruane for a great finish past John Vahey.
Aidan O’Shea, a free, and Ruane traded the final scores but there would be no more heroics from Breaffy on this day as Knockmore set-up the first senior final against their neighbours and arch-rivals Ballina Stephenites in 20 years.
Scorers – Knockmore: Billy Ruane 1-1, Aiden Orme 0-4 (3f), Charlie Bourke 1-0, Connell Dempsey and Darren McHale 0-2 each, Sean Holmes, Liam Durcan, Colm Reape (f), Keith Ruttledge, Pearse Ruttledge and Conor Flynn 0-1 each.
Breaffy: Aidan O’Shea 0-7 (6f), Matthew Ruane and Pierce Deane (f) 0-3 each, Tommy O’Reilly 0-2, Mark Ward, Conor O’Shea and Robbie Fadden 0-1 each.
Knockmore: Colm Reape; David McHale, Kieran King, Adam Battle; Nathan Armstrong, Conor Flynn, Sean Holmes; Connell Dempsey, Pearse Ruttledge; Declan Melvin, Darren McHale, Keith Ruttledge; Liam Durcan, Aiden Orme, Caolan Hopkins. Subs: Darragh Staunton (for Melvin 35), Peter Naughton (for Hopkins 50), David McHale (for Holmes 55), Adam Naughton and Charlie Bourke (for Dempsey and K Ruttledge 57), Billy Ruane (for Flynn 68).
Breaffy: John Vahey;, Conor Melly, Mark Dervan, James Minogue; David Living stone, Robbie Fadden, Yousif Coghill; Niall Carter, Matthew Ruane; Aidan Cunningham, Conor O’Shea, Davitt Neary; Tommy O’Reilly, Aidan O’Shea, Pierce Deane. Subs: Mark Ward (for Coghill 37), Kieth Mulchrone (for Livingstone 50), Stephen McDermott (for O’Reilly 55), Paul McDermott (for Cunningham 60+2), Conor Beirne (for Minogue 70), J Minogue (for P McDermott 73).
REF: Kevin Connelly (Hollymount/Carramore)
