Table toppers Mitchels make light work of Knockmore
Joe Forry scores Castlebar's third goal in the closing minutes despite the efforts of Knockmore's Ryan Casey and goalkeeper Brian McMahon. Picture: David Farrell Photography
The longest day of the year saw Knockmore endure their longest hour, as they suffered a ten points defeat that wasn’t even as comprehensive as it might have been. A victory would actually have seen Knockmore leapfrog their visitors at the top of the Division 1A table, however, Castlebar Mitchels, on this occasion, were in a different league to their North Mayo hosts.
James Durcan scored their opening goal but could easily have had two before half-time, while Mark Cunningham struck their second but should probably have finished the day with a hat-trick. Knockmore might have won their previous three home league games by a combined margin of 51 points but on Saturday, they were already nine points behind before half-time – and that was despite playing with an extra player for ten minutes following Mark Cunningham’s black carding.
Knockmore’s evening was summed up when Keith Ruttledge, the last of their substitutes, lasted only seconds on the pitch after injuring himself in his first contest for possession, and Ray Dempsey’s side were forced to play almost fifteen minutes with only fourteen men. To be fair, Oliver Armstrong’s one-man crusade – he had scored a goal and five points from play in the second-half by this stage – had seen Knockmore narrow their arrears to five points by the 48th minute, but Mitchels made their extra player count down the stretch, with substitute Joe Forry scoring their third goal, to cap a fine evening’s work by Kevin Filan’s side.
The return of county men Darren McHale and Colm Reape, and Aiden Orme, Kevin McLoughlin, Kieran King and Sean Holmes will undoubtedly give Knockmore a keener edge come championship but the list of absentees for the away team was considerable too, with Mayo having used no fewer than four Castlebar players in their loss to Donegal six days previous. Unbeaten in their seven league games to date (six wins and one draw), the county town side have scored more than any other team and also boast the meanest defence, giving them a 27 points scoring difference over Knockmore, a 52 points scoring difference over Breaffy and a 63 points scoring difference over Ballina Stephenites, teams who occupy the three places below them in the league table. A serious assault on the Moclair Cup title cannot be ruled out later this year.
The breeze behind them, Mitchels were 0-4 to 0-1 ahead after ten minutes, with goalkeeper Rory Byrne gliding over a two point free in between singles from play by Mark Cunningham and Cian Walsh.
Peter Naughton’s pair of pointed frees preceded Knockmore’s opening point from play, scored by midfielder Pearse Ruttledge, narrowing the deficit to one after nineteen minutes, however, Castlebar were to kick 1-5 without reply from the 22nd until first-half stoppage time, to take a firm grip of the proceedings.
James Durcan blazed a goal chance wide but fired over back-to-back points from play while Mark Cunningham left David McHale, Martin Orme and Ryan Casey in his wake before rattling the Knockmore crossbar, as the sheer pace of Castlebar’s attack became apparent.
Cunningham was sent to the bin by referee Kevin Connelly after reacting poorly to what he believed (perhaps correctly) should have been a free in his favour, but this didn’t stunt Castlebar’s momentum. Gavin Forry, Cian Walsh and Anthony O’Boyle, superbly from the left wing, each kicked points before James Durcan ran onto Paddy Heneghan’s pass and drilled home the game’s first goal, in the 31st minute, after Knockmore, not the first time, uncharacteristically turned over possession cheaply.
Peter Naughton, on the stroke of half-time, received a pass from Caolan Hopkins to whip over his first point from play, but it was Mitchels who were very much in the ascendancy, leading 1-9 to 0-4 at the change of ends.
Signs that wind-assisted Knockmore might rescue their situation looked somewhat positive when they reeled off three points within four minutes of the restart, with Oliver Armstrong, now moved into full-forward, Pearse Ruttledge and Conor Flynn each on target, and while Durcan and Forry, from a free awarded for a technical breach, replied with Castlebar points, Armstrong kicked another to make it a six-point game after 37 minutes.
Almost immediately, however, Castlebar inflicted a fatal blow upon the locals, as they tore a hole in the Knockmore defence and Mark Cunningham arrived at the back post to palm into the net, handing his side a 2-11 to 0-8 lead. In eight minutes against the breeze, the Yellow and Red had scored a goal and two points compared to Knockmore’s four points in the first-half.
Naughton, a free, and Byrne, a ’45, traded placed balls before Knockmore received a lifeline, as midfielder Tadhg Staunton released Oliver Armstrong who despite Byrne’s very best efforts, struck a 45th minute goal which reduced his side’s arrears to six points.
Dempsey’s men nearly plundered another major just a minute later but Rory Byrne this time was equal to Pearse Ruttledge’s shot and Mitchels went straight upfield where Conor Stenson become his side’s sixth forward to score from play when fisting over the bar.
An inspired Armstrong raised back-to-back flags, orange and white, to leave the scoreboard reading 2-13 to 1-12 after 50 minutes but now without any substitute to replace an injured Keith Ruttledge, Knockmore were unable to sustain their comeback. Another flowing Castlebar move resulted in a near carbon-copy finish of their previous goal, when Joe Forry, a replacement for his brother Gavin, palmed to the home side’s net in the 54th minute, while he scored a point too, likewise Shane Cunningham and Mayo U20 captain John MacMonagle, to extend the margin out to ten points by full-time.
With only two rounds left to play before the knockout stages, leaders Castlebar Mitchels next weekend host fourth placed Ballina Stephenites, who they led by three points, while Breaffy entertain Knockmore in a clash of second plays third.
Scorers – Castlebar: James Durcan 1-0-3, Mark Cunningham and Joe Forry 1-0-1 each, Rory Byrne 0-1-1 (1tpf, 1 ’45), Cian Walsh and Gavin Forry (1f) 0-0-2 each, Anthony O’Boyle, Shane Cunningham, Conor Stenson and John MacMonagle 0-0-1 each.
Knockmore: Oliver Armstrong 1-1-3, Peter Naughton 0-0-4 (3f), Pearse Ruttledge 0-0-2, Conor Flynn 0-0-1.
Knockmore: Brian McMahon; David McHale, Aaron Timlin, Martin Orme; Darragh Staunton, Ryan Casey, Keith Ormsby; Tadhg Staunton, Pearse Ruttledge; Conor Flynn, Peter Naughton, Oliver Armstrong; Liam Durkan, Connell Dempsey, Caolan Hopkins. Subs: Oran Timlin (for Orme 22, inj), Charlie Bourke (for D Staunton ht), Dylan Coleman (for Hopkins 37), David McHale (for David McHale 43, inj), Keith Ruttledge (for Flynn 48).
Castlebar Mitchels: Rory Byrne; Mark Dolan, Brian McDonnell, Johnny Maughan; Ronan Burke, Eoghan O’Reilly, John MacMonagle; Shane Cunningham, Paddy Heneghan; Anthony O’Boyle, Gavin Forry, Conor Stenson; Cian Walsh, James Durcan, Mark Cunningham. Subs: Joe Forry and Conchobar Mulroy (for G Forry and O’Reilly 43), Donie Newcombe (for Burke 52), Mark Durcan and Fergal Durkan (for Heneghan and Stenson 55).
REF: Kevin Connelly (Hollymount-Carramore)
