Mayo SFC: Ballintubber bounce back from opening day woes

Breaffy's Aidan O'Shea tries to hold off Eoghan O'Reilly of Castlebar Mitchels at Páirc Josie Munnelly in Castlebar. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Holders Ballintubber got back to winning ways in the Mayo SFC as Cillian O’Connor helped to steer them to a resounding 18 points victory over an outclassed Moy Davitts in the second round of the group stages on Saturday evening.

O’Connor had been cleared to line out after a successful appeal against a red card he received a week earlier during their disappointing draw against Aghamore.

The former Mayo captain hit 1-5 in ‘Tubber’s 3-19 to 1-7 win with veteran Alan Dillon and Stephen O’Malley also hitting the Moy Davitts net.

Their first victory of the campaign means that a win over Davitts in the next round would send the Abbeysiders into the last eight.

In the same group, Aghamore romped to a facile 0-18 to 0-9 win over Davitts.

Elsewhere, Lee Keegan turned in a commanding performance as Westport maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign with a draw against Tom Parsons’ Charlestown Sarsfields on Saturday evening.

Late points from the Moran brothers, Mark and Colm, earned Westport a deserved share of the spoils as the sides finished deadlocked at 2-10 apiece.

They had also been level at half-time after first-half goals from Charlestown’s Paul Towey and Parsons were cancelled out by Westport majors by Killian Kilkelly (penalty) and Eoghan McLaughlin.

Breaffy’s 0-16 to 0-14 win over Castlebar Mitchels on Sunday in the same group means that all four teams are still in contention for the knock-out stages heading into the third round.

Meanwhile, Ballina Stephenites made another big statement of their intent with an impressive 1-19 to 1-9 win away to Claremorris.

Last year’s beaten semi-finalists turned in an impressive second half, outscoring the home side by eleven points to 1-3 to book their place in the quarter-finals with a game to spare.

The Stephenites’ goal came from Simon Leonard while Evan Regan and Conor McStay also caught the eye up-front.

The only negative for the winners was a red card shown to Mayo panellist Ciaran Treacy minutes after he had been introduced during the second half.

In the same group, Knockmore also booked their ticket to the last eight with a 3-18 to 0-11 victory over Kiltane.

Goals from Pearse Ruttledge, Peter Naughton, and Conall Dempsey propelled Ray Dempsey’s men to their second successive win.

Ballaghaderreen made sure of safe passage to the quarter-finals courtesy of a 2-8 to 0-13 win over Garrymore. Andy Moran and Thomas Carmody scored the goals for Ballagh’ with Luke O’Grady popping up with the winning point.

However, the identity of the other team to emerge from the group won’t be known until after the third round games with The Neale and Belmullet both still in contention.

Those two sides drew (2-8 to 0-14) in Tallagh on Sunday with Joni Donoghue (penalty) and Eamonn McAndrew scoring the all-important goals for the homeside.

All third-round games will be played in two weeks’ time.