Defending Mayo champions reach knockout stages with a game to spare

The defending Mayo senior football champions, Ballina Stephenites, eased past Balla by 3-13 to 1-8 to confirm their place in the quarterfinals of this year's campaign.

With goals from Luke Doherty, Frank Irwin and Luke Feeney, the Stephenites – for whom midfielder Mikie Murray was in sparkling form – eventually overpowered a battling Balla team in James Stephens Park on Saturday evening.

In the same group (Group 2) of the Connacht Gold Senior Football Championship, Westport also qualified for the last eight with a 3-18 to 2-11 victory over Mayo Gaels.

The final group game between Westport and Ballina will determine who tops the group, while neighbours Balla and Mayo Gaels will be fighting it out to avoid the relegation playoffs.

Elsewhere this evening, Garrymore battled from a half-time deficit of five points (0-4 to 1-6) to earn a draw with Castlebar Mitchels in Group 4. It finished 0-13 to 2-7 under the lights in south Mayo, leaving both teams in with a decent chance of reaching the last eight.

In Group 3, Knockmore – champions in 2020 and 2021 – recovered from their opening round defeat away to Ballaghaderreen to make home advantage count with a 0-13 to 0-8 win at home to Claremorris.

The Group 1 game between Kilmeena and Aghamore was a close run affair, with the latter earning a 0-12 to 0-11 victory.

The game of the day was undoubtedly in Group 1 of the Egan Jewellers Intermediate Football Championships, where Moy Davitts engineered a stunning comeback win in Crossmolina, defeating the Deel Rovers by 5-13 to 2-16.

Davitts laid down a marker in Group 2 with a 3-15 to 1-10 victory over Kiltimagh, while Kiltane produced a minor shock in Group 3 with a one-point win over Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin, winning by 1-14 to 1-13 in Bangor. That result combined with Ballinrobe's big win over Kilmaine on Friday evening (2-16 to 0-11) means it's all to play for in round three of Group 3.

The final intermediate game of the day saw The Neale secure a 4-14 to 4-9 win over Burrishoole to really get their championship aspirations back on track.

There were also two games played in the Treanlaur Catering Junior Football Championship on Saturday evening, with Eastern Gaels defeating Killala by 4-7 to 0-6 in Group 3 and Cill Chomáin accounting for Kilmovee Shamrocks 2-7 to 0-9 in Group 1.

The remaining round two games in the senior, intermediate and junior championships will be played on Sunday (September 1).