Football final in Mayo falls foul of the weather
Common sense prevailed in the end, but not before both Westport and Knockmore battled through the deluge that hit Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, for the Mayo New Junior A final today, writes John Melvin.
Knockmore had been penalised on five occasions for touching the ball on the ground in what were atrocious conditions.
Players might have been better off trying to control a bar of soap, such were the conditions as the waterlogged pitch became extremely dangerous.
Throw-in was at 3 p.m. and the floodlights were turned on at 3.20 as the afternoon became very dark, and perhaps it should never have been played in the first place.
Westport were the more organised unit in the first half and held a lead of 0-4 to 0-1 at half-time, three of those points coming from frees from John Grady, while Cian Mulchrone nailed a superb point from play, and that was playing into a strong gale.
Knockmore had just one point to show for the opening 30 minutes, which was scored by Declan Melvin, but they had created great goal chances, the first on 14 minutes when Ciaran Canning had his effort brilliantly stopped by Westport goalkeeper Sean Grimes.
Grimes displayed his athleticism for a second time when Charlie Bourke fired a bullet which was heading for the net until the Wesport 'keeper produced a stunning save.
The announcement at half-time that the game was being abandoned, with a replay date to be announced during the week, did not come as any great surprise – but what did come as a surprise was that this game should have been allowed to go ahead in the first place in what were hazardous and very dangerous conditions.
The replay will start as a new game.
Westport B: S. Grimes; B. Doyle, A. Bourke, L. Silke; M. Brady, O. Ryall, J. Lally; C. Mulchrone (0-1), D. Brennan; A. McHale, P. Corcoran, L. Shevlin; P. Moran. J. Grady (0-3f), C. Grimes.
Knockmore B: R. McDermott; R. Melvin, C. Canning, K. Coleman; D. McHale, R. Casey, M. Lowther; T. Staunton, M. McHale; F. Keane, C. Bourke, D. Melvin; S. Ruttledge, T. Bourke, A. Loftus.