Intermediate team suffer heartbreaking defeat in championship. Cill Chomain 0-12 Mayo Gaels 0-11

Cill Chomain 0-12 Mayo Gaels 0-11

Despite leading for the majority of the game our intermediate team was caught in the final minutes and suffered a heartbreaking one point defeat away to Cill Chomain in the second round of the championship.

They got off to a great start and had the large travelling Gaels support in fine voice leading 0-5 to 0-1 after the first quarter. Mallie Byrne opened the scoring with a fine point from play and Johnny Morrin added a free before Cill Chomain replied with a point from play. Mallie Byrne then kicked the next three points, a well hit free and two superb points from play. The Gaels should have been further ahead but didn’t take advantage of some scorable frees. Cill Chomain took over at midfield and hit the next four points from play to leave the sides leave. The classy Mallie Byrne had the last say of the half with another fine point from play to leave his side a point up at half time 0-6 to 0-5.

The first twenty minutes was a nip and tuck affair with the sides trading the first eight scores. The Gaels scores came from a Jonathan Griffin free, a Damien Quinn point from play and two points from Mallie Byrne, one from a free and one from play. The point came directly from a fine save by goalie Paul Mannion. This left the scores 0-10 to 0-9 in favour of the Gaels. The last ten minutes were played in monsoon conditions as the heavy rain made the game a lottery. Cill Chomain leveled from play and took the lead for the first time with five minutes to go from a fifty metre free by former Mayo goalie Fintan Ruddy. The Gaels leveled with a fine point from play by Johnny Morrin. The Gaels had a chance to snatch the lead but the move broke down and Cil Chomain swept down field to kick a wonderful point from their midfielder. The Gaels had one final chance to level but Johnny Morrins free fell agonisingly close and was fielded by Fintan Ruddy in the Cill Chomain goal.

In a heartbreaking defeat the Gaels were best served by Paul Mannion who pulled off two fine saves, Anthony Byrne, Adrian Heneghan, the ageless James Fallon and the classy Mallie Byrne.

Mayo Gaels team: Paul Mannion, Paul Walsh, Anthony Byrne, Alyan Brett, Jonathan Walsh, James Fallon, Adrian Heneghan, John Nally, Damien Quinn (0-1), Mallie Byrne (0-7, 3f), Jonathan Morrin (0-1), Niall Brett, Noel Quinn, Danny Burke, Jonathan Griffin (0-2, 2f). Subs. Sean Boyle for Niall Brett.