Swinford finish strong to win county title
Swinford's Josh Smith gets past Kiltane's Matthew McDonagh during the Primary Junior C Final. Picture: Conor McKeown
In a gripping encounter at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park on Saturday evening, Swinford were crowned Mayo Junior C champions after edging past Kiltane in a game full of drama, momentum swings, and standout performances.
Swinford burst out of the blocks, dominating the opening exchanges with near-flawless football. Captain Kevin McDonagh opened the scoring with a free inside two minutes before a rapid-fire goal followed moments later. Josh Smith won the Kiltane kickout and delivered an inch-perfect pass to Darren Campbell, who coolly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner to give the east Mayo men a dream start.
Swinford’s direct approach and fluid forward movement overwhelmed Kiltane early on. Kevin and Sean McDonagh added points, while Barry Brennan notched a two-pointer in the seventh minute. Kiltane, meanwhile, struggled to win their own kickouts and were repeatedly turned over on the attack. Another point from Kevin McDonagh stretched Swinford’s lead before Ryan Convey was denied a second goal by a brilliant save from Kiltane goalkeeper Stephen Sweeney.
Kiltane finally got on the scoreboard in the 13th minute when Luke Munnelly netted after patient build-up play.
That goal sparked life into the side in blue and gold. Swinford answered with points from Jason McLoughlin and Sean McDonagh, a free, but Kiltane had found their rhythm. Frees from Owen Doherty and Kevin McDonagh were followed by fine scores from Micky Ginnelly and Pat Deane to reduce the deficit. Swinford were guilty of some late wides in the half but still took a 1-9 to 1-3 lead into the break.
The second half began in torrential rain, making for greasy conditions and a slippery ball. Kiltane resumed with a Pat Deane free, but Swinford responded through a brilliant solo point from Sean McDonagh.
Then the comeback began. Deane added another point before capitalising on a Johnny Ginty run, flicking the ball into the net to reduce the margin to just two points. Johnny Ginty’s introduction proved crucial for Kiltane, as his pace and incisive runs began to cause Swinford problems.
Yet, Eamon Molloy’s men kept their composure. Kevin McDonagh added two more frees before a third dropped dangerously in the square. Jason McLoughlin was quickest to react, poking home a vital goal to reassert Swinford’s control.
Still, Kiltane refused to wilt. Owen Doherty kicked a classy two-pointer and in the 47th minute, Johnny Ginty worked his magic again, creating a goal for Rory Ginty to cut the deficit one again. Swinford were then reduced to 14 men when McLoughlin received a black card, but their defence stood tall, limiting Kiltane to just one point during the sin-bin period.
In the final minutes, Sean McDonagh and Pat Deane exchanged scores, but it was Swinford who finished strongest. Kevin McDonagh added two more frees, either side of a Ryan Convey point, before he too was shown a black card deep in added time. Kiltane pushed for a late goal, but Swinford held firm with some heroic defending in the dying seconds to seal a hard-fought and deserved win.
