Moy Davitts and Crossmolina must do it all again in Mayo intermediate final

Crossmolina Deel Rovers and Moy Davitts will have to do it all again after they finished level at 1-12 apiece in the Egan Jewellers Mayo Intermediate Football championship final at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar.

Playing in extremely tough conditions, this decider was a rip-roaring contest. For most of the game Crossmolina held the upper hand and looked on course for victory when they led by five points with just seven minutes remaining.

However, Moy Davitts never threw in the towel and after they got a goal in the 60th minute to get within a point of their opponents, they finally drew level two minutes into injury time.

Both sides had a chance to get the winner before the match official brought things to a halt and send this final to a replay, which will be played at the same venue next Saturday evening at 6 p.m.

Playing with the wind at their backs, Crossmolina dominated the opening half. They got off to an unbelievable start as straight from the throw-in, the ball broke to wing-forward Niall Coggins who in turn cut through the Moy Davitts defence before sending a rasping shot to the back of the net.

Yet the Deel men failed to build on this good start and only added another point from James Maheady before the end of the opening quarter. Meanwhile, at the other end of the field, Moy Davitts made the most of their free kicks, with Cian McHale (two) and Ronan Clarke both raising white flags to leave it a one-point game by the 18th minute.

However, for the remainder of the half Crossmolina began to put scores on the scoreboard. Indeed, they troubled the umpire with the white flag on no fewer than seven occasions in an eight-minute spell. With Moy Davitts only getting three points in the same period, the north Mayo side went in at the break with a deserved five-point lead, 1-8 to 0-6.

In the opening 20 minutes of the second half both sides added four points each to their tally, which left Crossmolina still five in front.

But just when it seemed they were going to see the game out comfortably, Moy Davitts put in a storming finish. Man of the match Cian McHale landed a great point from play before substitute Brian Heneghan planted the ball in the back of the net after Brian Reape’s effort came back off the post in the 60th minute.

With four minutes of injury time to be played, Moy Davitts threw everything at Crossmolina before McHale popped over the equaliser from a free, his ninth point of the game. Both sides had half chances to get the winning score before the final whistle sounded, but it finished level.

Moy Davitts: C. McGlynn; C. Clarke, N. Murphy, J. Dunleavy; S. Kelly, O. McHugh, F. Cruise; A. Jordan, C. McHale; J. Clarke, C. Reid, S. Clarke; C. McHale (0-9), B. Reape (0-2), R. Clarke (0-1).

Subs used: P. Ruane, B. Heneghan (1-0), R. Kenny, J. Gilmore, L. Byrne.

Crossmolina: J.P. Mulhern; F. Duffy, K. Mulhern (0-1), M. Gordetskyy; A. Coggins, C. Loftus, L. Loftus; D. Syron, J. Flynn (0-1); D. Coggins, F. Duffy (0-4), N. Coggins (1-0); D. Walsh (0-1), P. Leddy, J. Maheady (0-4).

Subs used: S. Duffy, M. Loftus, C. Carolan, D. Fox.

Referee: S. Corcoran (Islandeady).