Castlebar - County Mayo - Mitchels Notes

Best Wishes
Best wishes to Martin McMenamin who is recovering in hospital at the moment. Good to see Dara Larkin home form hospital albeit with a sturdy cast on his hand. Wally Flynn is feeling good and hoping his cast will be coming off shortly.

Castlebar Mitchels U21 Team that lost to Knockmore in the County U21 Semi Final in Charlestown on Sat 3rd August 2002

County Under 21 A Semi Final

Castlebar Mitchels 0-7 : Knockmore 2-14
The Mitchels under 21 team crashed out of this year's championship when they came up against a Knockmore team oozing with power and talent. Mitchels started brightly with a Dwayne Flynn point from a free but then Knockmore took over and popped over points at regular intervals. Mitchels only scored in spasms and at half time trailed by 3 points to 9. The second half started with a JG Stenson point and it seemed as if the Mitchels were going to make a fight of it but a Knockmore goal after twelve minutes was the knockout score. Mitchels tried hard and had a couple of goal scoring opportunities going a begging, one of which came off the crossbar. The second Knockmore goal in the 20th minute was the final score for them. Mitchels tried hard to stem the tide and scored another point but it was Knockmore who ran out deserving winners. A time for the Mitchels to regroup and learn the lessons of this game - competitiveness allied to skill and fitness is vital for success. Many of this team are young enough for next year and together with a good crop of underage players coming on stream, the potential is there.

Mitchels Team
C Naughton : L Rafftery : R Feeney : K Mullaghy : D Lavelle : R O Grady : P Harte : B Regan : P Corcoran : D Flynn : B Healey : R Burke : D Melvin :D O Reilly :N Lydon

Subs Used J Malone: JG Stenson

West Mayo Junior Championship

Castlebar Mitchels 5-7 : Balla 2-15
That a game is never over until the final whistle was aptly demonstrated in McHale Park last Sun when the Mitchels came from the dead and stole this game from Balla with 2-1 in the last two minutes. The first half was nip and tuck but by virtue of 2 goals it was the Mitchels who just had the better of it, and lead by 2-5 to 0-8. Many chances were missed by both sides but the endeavours were always honest. Balla scored a goal straight from the throw in and followed this up with a point. Mitchels responded with a goal and point within a minunte. From the 12th minute of the half however, it was Balla who dominated and with a succession of points opened up a five point gap with three minutes left to play. In an amazing final 3 minutes Mitchels scored a goal followed by a point only for Balla to respond with a point to restore the 2 point lead. However, Mitchels were not to lie down and stormed up the field and scored an excellent goal. From the kick-out the, referee blew the full time whistle and it was the Mitchels who, unbelievably, even to themselves, were the victors.

Ritchie Byrne: Joe McDonald: John McSharry : Owen Kane : Wesley Hurst :Rory O Grady : Declan Lavelle : David Quinn : Adrian O Brien : Damien Melvin : Fintan McHale : Brian healey : John O Malley : Michael Durkin : Keith Joyce.

Subs used Michael Rocke: Michael Feeney : Cormac Golden: Eamonn Tiernan