Six points for Aidan O'Shea as Breaffy edge Mayo SFC derby ...
Mayo SFC quarter-final: Breaffy 1-10 Westport 0-12.
AN attritional local derby in unforgiving conditions in Breaffy as the home side edged a quarter-final meeting with Westport. It is the second year in a row the sides have met in the last eight and Westport have run out of road on both occasions.
It was nip and tuck throughout - the biggest margin between the team throughout was two points.
The crucial Breaffy goal on 25 minute proved key. They thought they had a second via Aidan O’Shea but it was blow back, and in a dramatic finale Westport worked a free with Killian Kilkelly to reduce the margin down to the minimum.
Aidan O’Shea won the ensuing goal kick and a free. It was enough to see it out.
In truth it was a slow burner. The first score came after four minutes when Oisin McLaughlin, named just before the game to start, claimed a point. Breaffy responded with two points from frees won by Aidan O’Shea, who was man marked by former Mayo All-Star Lee Keegan, inside the 20m line. O’Shea converted the first with Kilkelly the second.
The sides exchanged points before Westport took the lead in the 15th minute from a second Oisin McLaughlin point. The followed it up straight away with a point from Finbar MacLaughlin to leave two between the sides.
Breaffy came within one with another Kilkelly free before the only goal of the game. A high ball sent in from a free hit off the crossbar, with Westport keeper Paddy O’Malley getting a hand to it but the ball bobbled around the square before finally ending in the back of the net. The goal had to be confirmed as one umpire called goal with the other signalled a wide.
The goal was credited to Matthew Ruane, giving Breaffy the lead 1-4 to 0-6, and they retained a slender lead to the break, 1-5 to 0-7.
Westport started the second half quickly with a point from goalkeeper O’Malley. Eoghan McLaughlin followed up with a superb point from play for Westport to put them 0-9 to 1-5 ahead.
Aidan O’Shea scored twice to put Breaffy ahead by one but was quickly quashed with Conal Dawson levelling matters again.
Now things got twitchy. An Aidan O’Shea free and Ruane point edged Breaffy two in front into four minutes of added time.
Westport worked the ball well up into the Breaffy side before Brian McDermott shot for goal only to be saved by Breaffy keeper John Vahey.
They turned over the ball and won a free which Kilkelly converted but was not enough to overcome Breaffy who progress to next weekend's semi-finals.
Scorers for Breaffy: A O’Shea (0-6, 5f), M Ruane (1-1), P Deane (0-3,f)
Scorers for Westport: O McLaughin (0-2), C Dawson (0-3,2f), F McLauglin (0-2), K Kilkelly (0-2, f), P O’Malley (0-1, f), E McLaughlin (0-1), R Geraghty 90-1).
BREAFFY: J Vahey; C Melly, M Dervan, J Minogue; D Livingstone, R Fadden,Y Coghill; N Carter, M Ruane; A Cunningham, C O’Shea (c), D Neary; T O’Reilly, A O’Shea; P Deane.
Subs: J Livingstone, M Ward, R Martyn (Cunningham, 41’), C Golden B Murphy, S McDermott, J Mellett (O’Reilly 64’), K Mulchrone (Minogue 52’), P McDermott, R Deane, J Lavin, C Bourke, G McManamon, S Burns, C Hughes, D O’Neill, E Mulgrew, C Beirne.
WESTPORT: P O’Malley; B McDermott, N McManamon (jc), L Tunney; R Geraghty, R Brickenden, P Lambert; L Keegan, E McLaughlin; C Dawson, M Moran, F McLaughlin; O McLaughlin, J Grady, K Kilkelly.
Subs: G Keane, K McGuire, L Shelvin (Moran 47’), L Silke, P Lambert, A Kennedy (O McLaughlin 39’), K Keane, D Brennan, T Campion, A Browne, C McGraynor, C Moran, J Grady, C Grimes, J Lally, O Ryall, R Walsh, S Grimes, L Askin, S O’Hanlon.
Referee: Shane Corcoran
