Mayo SFC final: Castlebar's class shines through

October 29, 2016

Castlebar Mitchels' Ferghal Durcan with Marcus Park of Knockmore
©INPHO

Castlebar Mitchels were crowned Mayo senior football champions for the 30th time in MacHale Park this evening.

Final opponents Knockmore enjoyed a surprise semi-final victory over Breaffy but their luck ran out against the holders who triumphed on a scoreline of 3-13 to 0-10.

Three second-half goals from 'man-of-the-match' Paddy Durcan, Neil Douglas and Barry Moran illustrated the gulf in class between the two sides.

Mitchels outscored Knockmore by 3-7 to 0-6 after the resumption to run out convincing winners.

Played in front of an attendance of 5,375, the underdogs settled well with points from Sean Rutledge and Peter Naughton but the holders shaded a low scoring first-half on a scoreline of 0-6 to 0-4 after Durcan got them off the mark.

The defeated All-Ireland club finalists upped the ante considerably after the break and Knockmore's challenge unravelled.

Full-forward Douglas took the scoring honours for the winners with 1-6 while Durcan finished with 1-3 to his name.

Meanwhile, in the curtain raiser, Lee Keegan and his Westport club-mates enjoyed a 0-10 to 0-4 IFC final success over Kiltimagh.

Castlebar Mitchels - R Byrne; S Irwin, G McDonagh, D Newcombe; R O'Malley, E O'Reilly, P Durcan (1-3); A Walsh (0-2), B Moran (1-0); F Durcan, C Costello, J Durcan; N Lydon, N Douglas (1-6, 0-4f), S Hopkins. Subs: D Stenson (0-2, 1f) for J Durcan, R Burke for P Durcan, D Kirby for N Lydon, J Gannon for C Costello, C Kyne for N Douglas, J Maughan for D Newcombe.

Knockmore - A Kilcoyne; M Park, S McHale, D Walsh; J Rice, A Keane, N Hardy; T Clarke, K McLoughlin (0-1); D McHale, C Reape (0-1), K Rutledge (0-2, 1f); S Rutledge (0-1), K Langan, P Naughton (0-5, 4f). Subs: B Gibbons for T Clarke, F O'Neill for D McHale, J Brogan for M Park, A Loftus for C Reape, C Canning for D Walsh.

Referee - J Glavey.


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