Knockmore retain their Mayo SFC title with victory over Belmullet

Knockmore have put county senior football titles back to back for the third time in their history in the course of capturing their 10th championship overall with a 1-9 to 0-6 victory over Belmullet this afternoon.

The first half in James Stephens Park, Ballina, was tense and low on scores, but a goal on the stroke of half-time for Knockmore left them in the driving seat.

Up to that stage, Belmullet would have been happy with their first-half work as they restricted Knockmore to just two points, but the goal changed the momentum and the Erris men were always chasing the game thereafter.

They made a good fist of it but couldn't break through a staunch Knockmore rearguard, with Kieran King in imperious form, for the goal they needed.

What the first half lacked in scores it made up for in intrigue, with the best of action coming in injury time as Aiden Orme picked out James Ruddy and he fired a low shot past Shane Nallen in the Belmullet goal.

That put the defending champions 1-2 to 0-1 ahead, and it was a fillip going into the break as Belmullet, while not playing well, would have been happier at just a point behind with the knowledge that they would have the assistance of the breeze in the second period.

Peter Naughton opened the scoring with a free on four minutes but, uncharacteristically, he kicked one wide and two short during the course of the first half, while Kevin McLoughlin also missed from play when in a good shooting position.

Pearse Ruttledge (mark) put Knockmore two points up on 15 minutes but after that Belmullet came more into the game, forcing turnovers in the middle of the park and generally making life difficult for the champions.

A couple of Ryan O'Donoghue frees dropped short before he finally nailed one on 28 minutes, and he also had a shot at goal a minute later as Belmullet capitalised on one of those aforementioned turnovers but Shane McHale blocked and the ball was eventually cleared to safety.

Belmullet would have been happy with a one-point deficit at the break but Ruddy's goal ensured the gap was four, and it was to prove decisive.

Peter Naughton and Conor Flynn put Knockmore further ahead after the break but Belmullet rallied, with substitute Eamon McAndrew, Ryan O'Donoghue (free), Shea O'Donoghue and Eoghan McHale cutting the gap back to two.

It was as good as it got, however, as Knockmore would concede just one more score, a pointed free by Ryan O'Donoghue, while tacking on five of their own through Flynn, Connell Dempsey and Naughton, who landed three frees in the second half after struggling somewhat with placed balls into the wind in the first.

In the end there was no denying the champions, who that little bit too much guile for an honest Belmullet outfit, who certainly have something to build on in the years to come.

*See Tuesday's print edition for a full report on the match, plus reaction