Plenty to be decided in final round of games in Mayo club championships
The venues and throw-in times for the third and final round of group games in the Mayo GAA club football championships have been announced.
The games will be played over the weekend of September 16/17, all at neutral venues.
In the Connacht Gold Mayo Senior Championship, both Group 1 games throw in at 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 16, with Breaffy facing Mayo Gaels in Ballindine and Ballina Stephenites taking on Balla in Foxford.
The Stephenites are already through to the last eight, with Breaffy and Mayo Gaels in a straight shootout to join them.
Group 2's games are on Sunday, September 17, with neighbours Ballaghaderreen and Charlestown travelling to Ballyhaunis to square up at 4 p.m. and Westport facing Claremorris in Breaffy at 2.30 p.m.
Westport, the defending champions, have qualified for the quarterfinals, leaving the clash between Ballagh' and Charlestown as a battle to break into the last eight with them.
Hollymount and Castlebar (Josie Munnelly Park) are the venues for the Group 3 encounters of Ballintubber v Garrymore and Belmullet v The Neale respectively on Sunday, September 17, both throwing in at 1 p.m.
Ballintubber, Garrymore and Belmullet can all still qualify for the quarterfinals. Ballintubber top the group but face a difficult final encounter against Garrymore, while Belmullet would be expected what they need to do and pile more misery on The Neale.
Group 4 also has a few permutations riding on the results of the round three games on Saturday, September 16, in which Aghamore clash with Knockmore in Charlestown and Ballyhaunis take on Castlebar Mitchels, both games starting at 5 p.m.
Knockmore would be expected to top the group unless Castlebar Mitchels can rack up a big score against Ballyhaunis. Victories for the east Mayo clubs would put the cat amongst the pigeons, with all teams then being left on three points. In that scenario, Ballyhaunis would need a big winning margin to put themselves among the candidates for progression. Aghamore, however, have a much smaller gap to overcome if score difference is to come into play.
Mayo GAA TV will be covering the Aghamore v Knockmore and Breaffy v Mayo Gaels games live on Saturday and the Ballaghaderreen v Charlestown and Ballintubber v Garrymore games live on Sunday.
The final games in Group 1 of the Egan Jewellers Mayo Intermediate Championship will be played on Sunday, September 17, with Bonniconlon facing Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin at 1 p.m. in Bofeenaun and Davitts taking on Islandeady at 3.30 p.m. in Clogher.
Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin have booked their place in the quarterfinals and will top the group, and will be joined in the last eight by either Islandeady or Davitts, leaving Bonniconlon in the relegation battle.
Saturday, September 16, is the day for Group 2 to conclude, with Kilmeena taking on Kiltimagh in Islandeady and Louisburgh clashing with Ardnaree in Burrishoole, both at 5 p.m.
All four teams are still in with a chance of making the last eight. Kiltimagh’s only hope is to beat Kilmeena by a huge margin and hope for Louisburgh to beat Ardnaree. This would leave Kilmeena, Ardnaree and Kiltimagh on two points, meaning score difference would come into play.
Group 3 is settled, leaving the clash of neighbours Ballinrobe and Hollymount/Carramore in Garrymore on Saturday, September 16 (7.30 p.m.) to determine who tops the group, and the game between Burrishoole and Kiltane on Sunday, September 17, in Crossmolina (2 p.m.) to decide who is involved in the relegation battle.
The fixtures in Group 4 – Kilmaine v Bohola Moy Davitts in Mayo Abbey and Castlebar Mitchels B v Crossmolina Deel Rovers in Knockmore – will be played on Sunday, September 17, at 3.30 p.m.
Bohola-Moy Davitts have already qualified for the quarterfinals and will finish up as group winners, with either Castlebar Mitchels B or Crossmolina Deel Rovers joining them in the last eight.
Shrule/Glencorrib have already qualified for the last eight of the TF Royal Hotel & Theatre Junior Championship from Group 1 but their opponents in the third round, Ballycastle, may need to get something from the encounter to join them. They clash in Swinford on Saturday, September 16, at 3 p.m., while the other teams in the group, Northern Gaels and Tourmakeady, meet in Parke at the same time.
Northern Gaels have an outside chance making the quarterfinals but would need to beat Tourmakeady by a big margin and hope for Shrule/Glencorrib to do likewise against Ballycastle.
Group 2 is a three-team group, meaning there's just one game – but the clash of Ardagh and Achill on Saturday, September 16, at 5 p.m. in Ardagh will determine who joins leaders Cill Chomáin in the quarterfinals.
Group 3 is similarly a three-team group. Killala have already qualified despite having played only one game. They face Eastern Gaels at home on Saturday, September 16, at 5 p.m. Eastern Gaels will join Killala in the last eight unless they suffer a heavy defeat (by more than 11 points), which would open the door for the the third team in the group, Kilmovee Shamrocks.
In Group 4, Lahardane and Swinford clash on Sunday, September 17, at 1 p.m. in Ballina (James Stephens Park), while Ballycroy face Moygownagh the same day in Bangor at 3.30 p.m.
Both Swinford and Lahardane have recorded two wins each, meaning their game in Ballina will decide which of them tops the group.