Mitchels advance to quarterfinals, but only just

Castlebar Mitchels booked their place in the last eight of the Connacht Gold Mayo SFC championship quarterfinals following a draw with Ballaghaderreen in their final group game, which was played in Aghamore last night.

Going into this last round, everything hinged on the result of this encounter for both teams as they stood on two points each.

However, Castlebar had the slight edge as their superior scoring difference meant they only needed to draw to get through. In the end it was a draw they got, and while they might have been a bit lucky in the end, it is the Mitchels who will be in the quarterfinals while Ballaghaderreen's championship aspirations have ended for this year.

Castlebar started like an express train and with just seven minutes gone they had built up a five-point lead. However, for the remainder of the opening half they would only add two more points to their tally, while Ballaghaderreen, once they opened their account in the eighth minute, came a lot more into the game and after scoring five more points, they found themselves just one behind at the interval, 0-7 to 0-6.

Although Mitchels doubled their advantage seven minutes into the second half with a great point from substitute Anthony O’Boyle, the game really burst to life in the 38th minute when Ballaghaderreen midfielder Shairoze Akram crashed home a magnificent goal. It gave the east Mayo side the lead for the first time, and from that moment onwards it was tit for tat for the remainder of the game.

But while Ballaghaderreen kept their noses in front, they had goalkeeper Gavin Conway to thank as he brought off a magnificent save to deny Mitchels' Paddy Heneghan a goal in the 46th minute.

But with Castlebar kicking some bad wides, it was Ballaghaderreen who looked the likely winners with five minutes to go as they led by two points.

However, Mitchels' never-say-die attitude brought its rewards with late points from James Durcan and a third of the night from Anthony O’Boyle to level metters.

In the closing moments Ballaghaderreen goal scorer Akram had a great chance to put his side back in front. However, his left-footed attempt for the winning point went the wrong side of the post – and so did Ballaghaderreen’s chances of getting the victory that would have sent them into the last eight of the championship.

*See Tuesday's print edition for more on this game and all of the contests in the final round of the group stages of the senior championship.