Mayo champions defeated by Tyrone kingpins in junior semi-final

Kiltimagh's hopes of contesting the AIB All-Ireland Junior Football Championship final have been dashed by Tyrone's Clogher Éire Óg, who won by 2-13 to 0-9 in Heartland Credit Union Páirc Seán MacDiarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon, writes Brian Gillespie.

Not a whole lot went right for the Mayo and Connacht champions on the day but still they would be first to admit they were beaten by the better team on this occasion.

To illustrate their woes, shortly after Paul Kelly landed a monstrous two-pointer late in the third quarter, which got them back to within five of Clogher (0-7 to 1-9), the same player took an unfortunate accidental blow to the head that ended his game.

The influential Brian Gallagher, wearing number 30, had started the match but by that stage was off the field, and while they battled gamely afterwards, there was just no way back.

To compound matters, Ciarán Bogue, the undoubted man of the match, found the net shortly after the game resumed following Kelly's injury, and that was that really.

A goal by Bogue after 23 first-half minutes really set Clogher up for the victory as that score gave his side a clear advantage in a game that up to then had been even enough.

Kiltimagh had a good goal chance of their own just before Bogue found the net, Oisín Mulderrig taking a pass from Aiden Cosgrove and forcing Clogher 'keeper Rory McElroy into a good stop.

The goal at the other end of the field from Bogue helped the Tyrone team into a 1-7 to 0-4 half-time lead, and the Ulster men pushed on in the second half – though not without some early resistance from a Kiltimagh team that battled and battled but just couldn't get into any sort of rhythm on the day.

*See Tuesday's print edition for a full report on the game