Mitchels complete league and championship double

Castlebar Mitchels ..... 3-14

Crossmolina ...............0-8

 

CASTLEBAR Mitchels added the league title to their championship crown when they outclassed Crossmolina in the final round of Division 1A at the Josie Munnelly pitch in Castlebar today.

The contest was effectively over at the interval by which time the county champions had built up an impressive 1-11 to 0-1, lead the goal crafted by Neil Douglas and brilliantly taken by Danny Kirby.

But it was Castlebar’s point-scoring, fitness and industry which impressed most ahead of their Connaught semi-final meeting with Clann na nGael of Roscommon on Sunday.

Aidan Walsh, Cian Costello, Shane Hopkins and James Durcan kicked from a variety of angles as Castlebar, as they had done in the county final last week, attacked from the back and controlled midfield.  

Even without four of the top players who were rested for this game - Barry Moran, Tom Cunniffe, Eoghan O’Reilly and Richie Feeney - the depth in strength of Castlebar’s panel came into play once again as they empted their bench

For joint managers Declan Reilly and Declan Shaw it was an ideal opportunity to run the rule over contenders for places on Sunday and one or two showed up with Cian Costello putting in solid performance, while Ronan Burke and Stephen Keane also caught the eye.

The game was killed at a very early stage in the second half when substitute Stephen Keane put the ball across the face of the goalmouth for a tap-in goal by Costello and it was really over and out for the visitors.

Aghamore won the Division 1B title and are promotod next season while Ballina Stephenites and Davitts have been demoted from Division 1A.