End of the Connacht road for Mayo junior football champions

Despite a brave effort, Mayo junior football champions Cill Chomáin were knocked out of the Connacht title race at the semi-final stage by a talented An Cheathrú Rua side, the Eris men beaten by 1-11 to 0-7 in Tuam Stadium, writes Brian Gillespie.

Coming into the game with a big reputation, the Galway champions lived up to the hype in the early stages as they tore into the Cill Chomáin players, giving them not a second to settle on the ball.

Two successful frees by Éanna Mac Cormaic were all that An Cheathrú Rua had to show for a near-dominant opening 10 minutes, however, and once Cill Chomáin got to grips with the game, they put up a real fight.

They were back in the contest when Derek Moran scored the first point from play in the encounter on 11 minutes and by half-time the evergreen forward had added four more (one from play and two frees) to go with one by Joe Mason, which was enough to see the Erris men head into the dressing rooms at half-time enjoying a one-point lead, 0-5 to 0-4.

They had the Connemara men worried, with Eoghan McGrath, Adam Conroy, Moran and the two Healys, Justin and Jack, all giving An Cheathrú Rua plenty to think about.

The Galway men – for whom Maitiú Ó Domhnaill really stood out, scoring their only point from play in the first half – slowly took control after the break, however.

The third quarter was tight and tense, yielding up just three points, two for An Cheathrú Rua courtesy of Ó Domhnaill and Fergal Ó Sé, and one for Cill Chomáin through Jack Healy (free).

An Cheathrú Rua were turning the screw by now, however, with impact off the bench coming in the form of Stiofán Ó Briain, Oisin Ó Lochnáin, Cian Ó Domhnaill and Seán Óg Ó Loideáin.

A great effort from Fionán Ó Conghaile pushed them back into the lead (0-7 to 0-6) on 48 minutes, while Pádraig Ó Loideáin scored a free from a tight angle on the right to stretch that advantage to two.

Cill Chomáin goalkeeper Kian O'Gallagher popped over a free from distance to make it a one-point game again, but as things transpired this proved to be the Mayo champions' final score of the encounter.

Another inspirational point by Maitiú Ó Domnaill preceded the pivotal score, a goal by Éanna Mac Cormaic following an incisive surge forward by Myles Mac Donnacha. Cian Ó Domhnaill's free on 58 minutes gave An Cheathrú Rua a commanding 1-11 to 0-7 advantage, and they held out against Cill Chomáin pressure from there until the final whistle following five minutes of injury time.

The Mayo champions never gave up but any lobbed ball into the danger area – and there were a few – was mopped up by an opponent, the towering Michéal Ó Briain proving a colossus under the posts time and time again.

An Chreathrú Rua lost Maitiú Ó Domhnaill to a black card while Cill Chomáin's Kian O'Gallagher was flashed a red late on for an over-zealous attempt to win back the ball, but it wasn't a dirty game by any means.

In the end the best team won, a fact acknowledged by Cill Chomáin manager Nigel Reape. “An Cheathrú Rua are a fine side and I think they'll go deep into this competition. You could see the difference their bench made when they made their substitutions. I don't want it to sound like I'm making any excuses because I thought they were a fine, fine team.”

*See Tuesday's print edition for a full report and reaction