Cillian O'Connor scores four goals as big guns advance
THE Mayo senior football championship semi-final line-up will feature Ballintubber against champions Castlebar Mitchels while Knockmore face Breaffy following the weekend quarterfinal matches at MacHale Park.
Hollymount-Carramore secured their senior status by beating Ballinrobe. The other relegation battle ended level as Ballinrobe now await the replay between Ballyhaunis and Claremorris in the final game to decide who goes down next season.
In the intermediate championship semi-finals, Westport beat Moy Davitts and face Shrule-Glencorrib, while Kiltimagh, who defeated The Neale, take on Burrishoole in the other semi-final.
Tourmakeady staved off relegation by beating Kilmaine who have been relegated for next season to the junior ranks.
In the first of Sunday's semi-finals at MacHale Park, county champions Castlebar Mitchels eased their way into the semi-final with a solid second half display to win by 3-13 to 1-13.
Ballaghaderreen put it up to champions in the first half and led by 0-10 to 1-6 at the break, Barry Regan, who finished the game on eight points, nailing some great scores.
Eoghan O’Reilly struck for an important goal for Mitchels but the game changer came from Cian Costello who fired home Mitchels' second goal midway through the second half and the job was completed when Barry Moran guided home their third after good work by the in-form Neil Douglas.
In the second game, Ballintubber had one leg in the semi-final by half-time as they led a very disappointing Garrymore side by 3-7 to 0-2 at that stage, a goal in the first minute by Michael Plunkett setting the tone for the Abbeysiders who were operating at a different level.
Two goals from Cillian O’Connor, the second just before half-time, had the champions of 2014 in control and on their way to a semi-final meeting with Castlebar Mitchels.
Jason Gibbons fired a bullet to the net six minutes into the second half to end the game as a contest, as Cillian O’Connor completed his hat-trick on 37 minutes and two minutes later he fired home his fourth to complete the rout. The game ended 6-14 to 1-8 in Ballintubber's favour.
On Saturday, Breaffy had to dig deep before seeing off a plucky Crossmolina side to book their place in the semi-finals in the first of a double-header at MacHale Park. It ended 1-14 to 0-11 in favour of Breaffy, the goal coming from Tom O’Reilly.
In the other semi-final, Knockmore survived a determined effort by Aghamore to win by 0-10 to 0-8.