The Gaels started brightly and had two points on the board after six minutes. Jonathan Morrin scored from play and Danny Burked pointed a free after Damien Quinn was fouled. Ballycastle responded with a point of their own before Danny Burke gave the three die hard travelling fans something to cheer about when he rattled the net after good work by Niall Brett and Damien Quinn to leave the Gaels four clear 0-1 to 1-2. Ballycastle responded with two softly awarded frees. The Gaels then took control for the next then minutes and hit points from Sean Boyle and Damien Quinn. Jonathan Morrin and Damien Quinn then added two frees to leave the Gaels six clear approaching halftime. A bad mistake by the Gaels defence when they lost the ball when soloing out instead of clearing their lines resulted in a Ballycastle goal even though the referee missed a blatant push in the back! The sides’ swapped points from play before halftime with the Gaels score coming from Damien Quinn to leave the half time score 1-4 to 1-7.
The Gaels sluggish start to the second half cost them the game as Ballycastle blitzed them with 2-4 in the first eight minutes to put them seven clear 3-8 to 1-7. To their credit the Gaels showed great heart and fighting spirit when they closed the gap to one. In a twelve minute spell they were totally dominate and landed points from Adrian Heneghan, Danny Burke, Jonathan Morrin, a Danny Burke free, Neil McGurrin and Damien Quinn to leave the score 3-8 to 1-13 with six minutes left. As the Gaels team became increasing frustrated with some of the ridiculous home town decisions by the referee their back chat to him resulted in him moving the ball forward thirty yards on two occasions in front of the goal for scoreable frees for Ballycastle to push them three clear. The Gaels pushed forward in search of the equalising goal but to no avail. Ballycastle sealed the game with a point from play in injury time.
Mayo Gaels team: Cathal Vahey, Noel Quinn, Anthony Byrne, Martin Connor, Niall Brett, Shane Vahey, Noel Morris, Jonathan Morrin (0-3, 1f), Sean Boyle (0-1), Neil McGurrin (0-1), Danny Burke (1-3, 2f), Kevin Brett, Damien Quinn (0-4, 1f), Adrian Heneghan (0-1), Jonathan Griffin.