The big talking points ahead of Mayo's SFC semi-finals

A Castlebar Mitchels versus Ballina Stephenites final?

by John Melvin

THE unannounced arrival of Breaffy on the scene has certainly thrown a spanner in the works, a new home being sought for the Moclair Cup which has left Westport earlier than many of us had expected.

Westport had been the strong favourites to retain the title but Breaffy put an end to that when they produced a gritty performance in the quarterfinal, out-muscling and tactically outmanoeuvring the defending champions with a bit in hand.

That win puts Breaffy firmly in the mix and to add even more intrigue to this year’s title race, they have been drawn against close neighbours Castlebar Mitchels in the first of this weekend’s semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Ballina Stephenites have regrouped after losing last year’s final to Westport and they clearly enter the equation as serious contenders on the back of some impressive performances.

However, in what will be a second derby tie, they face Knockmore, a team who just took a year out of college having failed to land the three-in-a-row last year but and now look sufficiently recovered to make a bold attempt for their third title in four years.

All four are well in with a shout and trying to find the winners is a tricky task. As one politician famously said: “Try it sometime!”

So here we go.

Castlebar Mitchels v Breaffy

Saturday at 3.30 p.m. in Charlestown

It doesn’t get any more neighbourly than Castlebar Mitchels and Breaffy going eyeball to eyeball for a place in a county final.

Breaffy somehow managed to come in under the radar as most pundits – sorry, no pundits, to my knowledge – did not have them as contenders at this stage of the championship.

If things go right for them they can win, and they have come withing touching distance of the Moclair Cup in a couple of finals in the recent past.

They didn’t just crash the last-four party, they got in by beating the defending champions – and that deserves respect.

Credit must be given to the Breaffy management, who had their homework done, and this was reflected in the reaction of Lee Keegan, a man who knows a bit about football and how to win. He told Mayo GAA TV after his side were beaten in the quarterfinal: “Breaffy came with a game plan, stuck to it. We got lost in the second half with transition, kicked a lot of silly wides, had a couple of frees to level it. I think in the context of the game, our discipline probably cost us, giving away some silly frees. Some of their big game players stepped up.”

They surely did, and if they do so again then I think Castlebar could find themselves facing another tight finish but Mitchels have that ability to adapt to different challenges that are put in front of them and suggestions that they will not tough it out when games get physical were disproved following that win over Ballintubber.

Joint manager Neil Lydon made a valid point after their win over Ballintubber.

“We have been getting mixed commentary about our performances but we’ve been playing against massed defences and it doesn’t make for pretty football,” he observed.

“But we can play it any way. We can go at a team one-on-one or we can grind it out if we have to, and that’s testament to the boys and the way they can adapt.

“If you want to go and win something you have to be able to do it no matter what style of opposition you face,” the former Mitchels player stated.

It has worked in a few of their games, no more so than their sensational quarterfinal comeback.

Four points down on 58 minutes and wining by three after 20 minutes of extra time says something about the character of the side, and that is what this team has been feeding off in a championship which saw them involved in some near misses.

Mitchels can't afford to miss some of the scores they failed to put away in this championship, particularly against Ballintubber, so improvement is needed and I think it will be forthcoming.

However, if it does come down to wire then the specialists at seeing things through currently is this Castlebar side, which keeps on finding answers when they have to – and I think they may just have that bit extra. However, a lot will depend on the match-ups in this game.

Verdict: Castlebar Mitchels

Knockmore v Ballina Stephenties

Sunday at 2 p.m. in Crossmolina

SIMILAR to the first semi-final, this, the second of the senior semis, also sees two close neighbours battle it out for a place in the final.

Clashes between Ballina Stephenites and Knockmore have reached legendary status down through the years and this is just another chapter in what was been a long history of attrition between two local tribes over the decades.

At the moment Knockmore hold the high ground as one of the most successful cubs in recent times with two county titles under their belt in the last three years, while Ballina have been wandering through the wilderness since 2007, when they won their last county title, having failed to appear in another final since then until last year.

If Knockmore feel they have unfinished business having come up short in their hat trick bid last year, Ballina will surely feel the time has come for them to bring home a cup which bears the name of Paddy Moclair, a man whose heart was always in his native Castlebar having played for the club but was very much part of the social fabric of life over a number of decades in Ballina, a club he also played for having worked as a bank clerk and later as publican in the town.

Ballina are arguably the most talented team left in the championship. But can they win when it matters most?

They came up short in last year’s final against Westport but there have been growing indications that they are improving with every outing, their quarterfinal performance over Belmullet certainly providing encouraging signs that they are beginning to get things right in the finishing department,where Evan Regan is certainly up there as one of the top three club forwards in the county.

They face a Knokmore team that is also improving, their quarterfinal game against Charlestown turning out to be a real test of stamina and character, the two qualities which got them over the line in the end by four points, but they can drift out of games and that is a worry.

Joint manager John Brogan was very forthright in his assessment of their quarterfinal win over Charlestown.

He said: “We have loads to work on. Our performance was less than perfect and we made numerous mistakes throughout in terms of handling and decision-making.

“We were asked huge questions in the second half and we answered by showing brilliant character and willingness to fight for each other. That was exactly what we were looking for.”

Another tactical battle is expected between two teams with a lot of quality and a lot of experience.

The need for Ballina seems greater to win a title that hasn’t visited the town since 2007 but Knockmore will feel this group of players could have won that three-in-a-row if things had panned out differently, and they will be viewing this as an ideal opportunity which has come along so quickly to atone for their failure at the quarterfinal stage last year.

Verdict: Ballina Stephenites