Mayo SFC final: County stars make difference as Castlebar Mitchels win 32nd title

Mayo SFC final: Castlebar Mitchels 1-17 Garrymore 0-12Every famine has its context. In the year when Mayo ended a 75-year wait to lift Sam Maguire, Castlebar Mitchels ended a drought of their own. When you’ve won 31 county senior championships, waiting nine years for your next can feel like a lifetime. The seriousness with which Mitchels approached Sunday’s final was exemplified by their five All-Ireland winners declining the Mayo team’s recent USA tour. That commitment paid off handsomely as midfielder Bob Tuohy kicked six points on his way to the man-of-the-match award while Paddy Durcan contributed superbly to nullifying the threat of county colleague Enda Hession.Garrymore got more out of their other Mayo star, Eoin McGreal, who supplied three second-half points. Together with four by Darren Quinn, it helped reduce the deficit to four by the 58th minute. In truth, Castlebar had played all the football up to that point. Garrymore, appearing in their first final since 1982, had no more to give. READ MOREA foul by corner back Justin Commins on John MacMonagle denied the Castlebar captain a goal-scoring opportunity. Commins was black-carded and Cian Walsh dispatched the penalty. A 60th-minute point by substitute Eoghan Hughes left eight between them at full-time. It was a fair reflection of a game bossed by Mitchels from the opening stages. They had led by seven as early as the 17th minute.Tuohy opened the scoring with a two pointer and added a pair of singles. There were also scores from Walsh and Joe Forry as Kevin Filan’s side made light work of the stiff breeze against them. The picture could have been bleaker for Garrymore had Colin Commins not blocked a fourth-minute goal effort by Durcan.The chasers were to score just twice in the first-half, both times from outside the arc by Aaron Hughes and Trevor Nally. The latter had also forced an early save from Mitchels goalkeeper Rory Byrne but it was a rare lapse by the Mitchels defence. By half-time, with Seán Morahan and Anthony O’Boyle registering late points, the town outfit held a 0-9 to 0-4 lead. Castlebar Mitchels celebrate winning their 32nd Mayo Club SFC title against Garrymore at MacHale Park. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Strangely, like Mitchels in the early stages, playing against the elements seemed to suit Garrymore better. They looked a much improved outfit in the third quarter, cutting the gap back to three points. McGreal traded a two-pointer with Durcan, while Trevor Nally had goal on his mind when flashing over Byrne’s crossbar in the 39th minute. But the same was true of Tuohy at the other end in the 47th minute, when he scored his sixth point, after some attacking brilliance by Durcan. A glorious two-point free curled over by Mitchels full-forward Forry pushed the gap back out to five. MacMonagle foiled Garrymore’s best chance of a route back into contention when throwing himself in front of Caolan Crowe’s swing for goal in the 52nd minute. Quinn did, though, boot over a two-pointer as his team gallantly refused to give up belief, but Castlebar’s game management – and late penalty award – secured title 32. Also crowned champions in Mayo’s previous All-Ireland winning years of 1950 and 51, Mitchels will travel to London in three weeks’ time to play Fulham Irish in the Connacht semi-final. Castlebar Mitchels: Rory Byrne; Joe Tuohy, Seán Morahan (0-0-1), Donnacha McHugh; Paddy Durcan (0-1-0), John MacMonagle, Shane Cunningham; Bob Tuohy (0-0-6), Ultan O’Reilly (0-0-1), Anthony O’Boyle (0-0-1), James Durcan, Conor Mulroy; Cian Walsh (1-0-1, 1 pen), Joe Forry (0-1-2, 1tpf), Neil Douglas. Subs: Eoghan Hughes (0-0-1) for Douglas (44), Calum Filan for J Durcan (49), Ben Joyce for O’Reilly (55), Ethan Gibbons for Forry (58), Conor Stenson for Mulroy (60+1).Garrymore: Brian Lynskey; Colin Commins, Jamie Oates, Justin Commins; David Dolan, Liam Óg Horkan, Eoin McGreal (0-1-1); Gary Golden, Aaron Hughes (0-1-0); Enda Hession, Andy Glennon, Shane Nally; Darren Quinn (0-1-2), Cathal Slattery, Trevor Nally (0-1-1). Subs: Jamie Hession for Dolan (25), Caolan Crowe for S Nally (30), Patrick Hession for Crowe (33-38, temp), P Hession for T Nally (44), Michael Connolly for Glennon (60+1).Referee: Liam Devenney (Ballina)