How's your club fixed now in the Mayo GAA club championships?

Everything you need to know after two rounds of the series and what the closing round holds in store

by Aiden Henry

THERE were many cracking games in all three Mayo club football championships over the weekend, where the results have left numerous teams still very much alive in their respective championship title races.

With just round of the group stages left, only three of the eight Connacht Gold Senior Football Championship quarterfinal places have been filled.

Ballina Stephenites and Breaffy, last year's winners and runners-up respectively, along with Westport, champions in 2022, have all booked their last eight places – yet none are guaranteed as group winners yet.

As to who will join the above three in the last eight is still very much up in the air, as many teams are still in with a big shout. There were big wins for Ballyhaunis, Aghamore, Knockmore and Ballaghaderreen at the weekend, which has left everything to play for in Group 1, Group 3 and Group 4.

Indeed, in Group 4, any of the four teams could still make the quarterfinals after Ballyhaunis’s victory over Charlestown and Castlebar Mitchels' draw with Garrymore.

In the Egan Jewellers Intermediate Football Championship there were a number of surprise results and a number of cracking games.

None more so than in Crossmolina, where the home side, after going nine points clear five minutes into the second half, saw opponents Moy Davitts hit back with an amazing five-goal haul to end up five-point winners.

In the Treanlaur Catering Junior Football Championship, the eye-catching result of the weekend was Eastern Gaels' huge win over Killala.

The east Mayo side look like one of the teams to beat in this year's junior campaign.

SENIOR

The only one thing we know at this stage in Group 1 of the senior championship is that Breaffy will be one of the two teams to advance to the quarterfinals.

Whether they will advance as group winners or runners-up remains unknown, however.

In the final round Breaffy will play Aghamore, currently just a point behind in second place.

A draw or a win for Breaffy will be good enough to see them top the group. However, a victory for Aghamore would see them top the group, while a draw against Breaffy would guarantee them a place in the last eight.

Should Aghamore lose to Breaffy and third placed Ballintubber defeat Kilmeena in their final round game, it will come down to scoring difference to decide the runners-up spot as the head-to-head between Ballintubber and Aghamore was a draw.

Meanwhile, Kilmeena – who remain pointless after two rounds – could yet still avoid the relegation playoffs if they were to defeat Ballintubber in the third and final round. There is still a lot to play for in this group.

Group 2, meanwhile, is the most straightforward of all. After two wins each, both Ballina Stephenities and Westport have already booked their place inthe quarterfinals. The only thing to be decided when they meet in the final round is who will finish as group winners.

At the other end of the table, both Balla and Mayo Gaels are pointless after two rounds. This means when they clash in the final round, the winners will avoid the relegation playoffs. This clash between the two neighbours will no doubt draw a huge crowd.

After two wins from their two games, Ballaghaderreen top the Group 3 table, but they are still not guaranteed a place in the quarterfinals. Behind Ballaghaderreen in joint second place are Knockmore and Claremorris.

If both Claremorris and Knockmore win their final games, it will mean three teams finish on four points and it would come down to scoring difference between the three to see which two advance to the last eight.

In the final round, Ballaghaderreen face Claremorris and Knockmore play Belmullet, which no doubt will create a huge amount of interest.

The relegation scenario is unclear too. Although Belmullet are pointless, they could still avoid the dreaded playoffs should they beat Knockmore.

A win for Belmullet and a win or draw for Claremorris against Ballaghaderreen would send Knockmore into the relegation playoffs due to Knockmore’s head-to-head result against Belmullet.

The Erris men could also still avoid the relegation playoffs if they beat Knockmore and Claremorris lose to Ballaghaderreen, as there would be three teams on two points and scoring difference would then come into play.

There remains a lot to be decided in this group yet.

Going into the final round of games in Group 4, any of the four teams could still advance to the quarterfinals.

The big surprise in round two was Ballyhaunis’s great four-point win in Charlestown on Sunday. In this all-east Mayo encounter, Ballyhaunis – who trailed by three points at half-time – came good in the second half as they outscored their opponents by eight points to one for a well-deserved victory.

With Garrymore and Castlebar Mitchels finishing level the previous evening, this Ballyhaunis win threw the group wide open, and it will now come down to the final round of games to decide who makes the last eight and who faces a relegation battle.

In the final round, Garrymore – who produced a great comeback against Castlebar Mitchels to share the spoils – will face Charlestown while Castlebar will meet Ballyhaunis.

Should Garrymore and Castlebar win these two final games, they will both advance to the last eight, with Garrymore the group winners.

However, at the same time, should Ballyhaunis and Charlestown both win, the two of them would make the quarterfinals, with Ballyhaunis advancing as group winners as Ballyhaunis would be on four points and Charlestown would be on three points, the same as Garrymore, but the head-to-head with Garrymore would see Charlestown claim the runners-up spot.

However, Castlebar Mitchels could yet finish up as the group winners should they defeat Ballyhaunis.

To do so, they would need Charlestown to defeat Garrymore, which would mean they and Charlestown would advance to the last eight, with Mitchels the group winners. There are many ifs, buts and maybes left in this Group 4 yet.

INTERMEDIATE

Like the senior championship, there are many teams in the intermediate championship still in with a big chance of advancing to the quarterfinals. As a result, in the final round of games there are many intriguing encounters down for decision.

In Group 1, Moy Davitts have booked their place in the last eight and will advance as group winners. They will be joined by either Crossmolina Deel Rovers or Louisburgh, who clash in the final round.

The fourth team in this group, Lahardane MacHales, will be involved in the relegation playoffs no matter what their result is against Moy Davitts.

The teams to advance from Group 2 have already been decided, with Davitts and Hollymount/Carramore, who have two wins each, already in the quarterfinals. The two clash in the final round to see who will go forward as group winners.

In the other game in this group, Kiltimagh and Castlebar Mitchels B will meet to see who avoids the relegation playoffs.

In Group 3 and Group 4, the story is very different story as all eight teams are still in with a chance of making the quarterfinals.

Ballinrobe lead Group 3 on three points and will face off against second round surprise winners Kiltane next time out.

While a draw here would be enough to see Ballinrobe advance to the last eight, defeat could knock them out of the championship race.

In the other game, it very much akin to a straight shootout between Parke/Keelogues/Crimlin and Kilmaine to see which of them makes the quarterfinals.

In Group 4, all four teams are on two points going into the last round.

The Neale will play Islandeady and Ardnaree face off against Burrishoole, and the winners of these two games will qualify for the quarterfinals, with the head-to-head meeting between the two winners deciding who advances as group winners. A draw in either or both games would see scoring difference come into play to decide who makes the last eight.

JUNIOR

With many teams in the junior championship still having two group games remaining, there is much to play for.

In Group 1, it looks odds-on that Bonniconlon, Cill Chomáin and Swinford will be the three sides to advance to the quarterfinals, with Kilmovee Shamrocks and Moygowanagh losing out.

Like Group 1, the top three teams at present in the table in Group 2 – Ardagh, Northern Gaels and Tourmakeady – look almost certain to qualify for the quarterfinals.

The big surprise in this group is the failure of Shrule/Glencorrib to win any of their three games so far. Last year's beaten junior finalists are now out of contention for this year’s title.

Finally, in Group 3, where only two teams advance to the quarterfinals, Eastern Gaels are already through to the last eight after their big victory over Killala at the weekend. They will be joined by either Achill or Killala in the last eight.