SEVEN HEAVEN FOR O’CONNOR
Ballintubber 0-12 Breaffy 1-8
CILLIAN O’CONNOR shot seven points as Ballintubber won their fourth Mayo Senior Football Championship in Castlebar last night.
In the first ever final meeting of these rivals, the county forward was in stunning form but it was his brother Diarmuid that got the winning score late on.
Breaffy missed out on their first ever Paddy Moclair Cup but Ballintubber advance to take on Tourlestrane in the Connacht quarter-final.
Breaffy had the dream start when three-time All-star Aidan O’shea caught the ball on the edge of the rectangle. He was wrestled to the ground by Cathal Hallinan, who got yellow, and Peter Dravins stepped up to the slot the resultant penalty.
But Ballintubber were soon level with Steven O’malley on target before Cillian O’connor (right) became the county championship’s top scorer with two frees.
He finished the first half with four points, his fourth free giving Ballintubber a 0-6 to 1-1 advantage in the 23rd minute.
When Conor O’shea was given Breaffy’s free-taking duties he scored to leave them 0-6 to 1-2 in arrears at half-time.
Substitute Colm Dravins got a black card for Breaffy in the 42nd minute while Ballintubber’s Ciaran Gavin saw the same fate late on.
But Cillian O’connor kept Ballintubber in front and Diarmuid O’connor sealed the win with his point in the 59th minute.
C O’connor 0-7 (6f), S O’malley 0-2, A Dillon 0-1, D Coleman 0-1, D O’connor 0-1. P Dravins 1-0 (pen), C O’shea 0-3 (3f), T O’reilly 0-2, R Fadden 0-1, R Hennelly 0-1 (45), G Dunne 0-1.