CASTLEBAR MITCHELS WILL take on reigning provincial and national champions St Brigid’s in the 2013 AIB Connacht SFC club final on November 24th.
Dr Hyde Park will the clash between the Mayo and Roscommon champions after they won their respective semi-final ties today in Tuam and Carrick-on-Shannon respectively.
It’ll be Castlebar Mitchels first Connacht final outing since 1993 when they defeated Roscommon’s Clan na nGael. Indeed today was their first appearance in Connacht action since then after ending a barren run in Mayo recently.
In contrast St Brigid’s will be looking to complete a four-in-a-row of Connacht titles in what will be seventh final showing in nine years.
Castlebar Mitchels (Mayo) 2-8
Corofin (Galway) 1-10
CASTLEBAR MITCHELS SPRUNG a surprise as they got the better of Galway champions Corofin with a narrow one-point win in their semi-final tie today.
First-half goals from Neil Lydon and Richie Feeney proved crucial in powering Castlebar Mitchels to victory.
It had been Corofin who had got off to a dream start when Gary Sice found the net in the 7th minute.
At one juncture Castlebar Mitchels trailed by 1-3 to 0-1 but goals from Feeney in the 18th minute and Lydon in the 22nd minute helped them lead by 2-4 to 1-5 at the interval.
Castlebar, managed by Pat Holmes, maintained their grip on the game in the second-half with Tom King’s point-taking helping them lead by 2-8 to 1-7 by the 47th minute.
Corofin mounted a late rally that yielded points from Ian Burke (2) and Gary Sice yet time ran out as they could not draw level with Castlebar Mitchels advancing.
Castlebar’s Aidan Walsh and Ronan Steede of Corofin
Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
St Brigid’s (Roscommon) 5-15
St Mary’s (Leitrim) 1-5
It was all too easy for Roscommon kingpins St Brigid’s this afternoon as they crushed Leitrim side St Mary’s at Páirc Sean MacDiarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon.
The winners lead by 1-11 to 0-1 at the break and essentially sealed their passage to the final by that stage. Frankie Dolan fired home their first-half goal.
They piled on further scores in the second-half with Padraig Kelly, Karol Mannion from a penalty, Richie Blaine and David O’Connor added further goals to help them have 22 points to spare by the final whistle.
St Brigid’s Frankie Dolan (file photo)
Pic: INPHO/Cathal Noonan
