Davitts Junior’s hosted a strong Cill Chomain side for a Senior League Div 4 clash on Sunday with the visitors prevailing by 2-15 to 1-11 after an entertaining encounter. A lengthly injury list together with several players unavailable due to second and third level exams, meant that Davitts had to field several players that had played for the first team on Saturday evening.

Cill Chomain had the better of the first half exchanges and led by 2-9 to 0-4 at the break, the second goal a real body blow for the homeside as it came deep into first half stoppage time. Davitts scorers in that half were Clive Hennigan (3) and Richie Kilkenny with an acrobatic volley that just went over the crossbar.

Davitts took the game to their opponents in the second half and outscored Cill Chomain by 1-7 to 0-6 after a very spirited display. Liam Kearns shot three points, Clive Hennigan another two and Darragh McGale and Steve Nyland a point apiece in the second period while Gerald Griffin displayed his predatory instincts with a delightful goal, flicking a long Tommy Waldron delivery to the net, but it was not enough to deprive the North Mayo men the two league points.

Davitts: David Mitchell, Cathal Moran, Tom Corless, Aidan Macken, John Macken, Tommy Waldron, James Cummins, Liam Macken, Shane Treacy, Stephen Nyland (0-1), Tommy Clarke, Clive Hennigan (0-5), Richie Kilkenny (0-1). Subs used: Johnno Clarke, Gerald Griffin (1-0), Liam Kearns (0-3), Darragh McGale (0-1), Micheal Mangan, Lawrence Daly.

• By darraghmc
• In Match Reports

Mayo Gaels 1-9

Davitts 2-14

Davitts travelled to Mayo Abbey on Saturday evening to face table toppers Mayo Gaels in Div 3 of the Senior League and left their recent indifferent form behind with an impressive eight point defeat of the locals.

The game was played in ideal conditions as Davitts played with the breeze in the first half. With team captain Ronan McNamara, the hardworking William Freeley and debutante Stephen Nyland winning the midfield exchanges, Davitts raced out of the blocks. Liam Kearns and Evan Ronane pointed in the opening three minutes and in the fifth minute, a long Ronan McNamara delivery was won by Ryan McLoughlin who fed Darragh McGale and he finished in style with a low shot to the corner of the Gaels net. Liam Kearns (2) and Evan Ronane pointed again before Mayo Gaels opened their account with an 18^th minute point. The homeside doubled their tally four minutes later but points from Liam Kearns, Shane Treacy and two long distance Ronan McNamara humdingers, extended the visitor’s lead. Gaels pointed again in injury time to leave Davitts ahead by 1-9 to 0-3 at the break.

Facing into the breeze, Davitts opened the second half in whirlwind fashion with three superb points from Stephen Nyland, Evan Ronane and the strong running Liam Macken in the first four minutes of the half. A Mayo Gaels point in the 35th minute was cancelled out three minutes later by a clever Ronan McNamara point after a Liam Kearns assist. Evan Ronane made it 1-14 to 0-4 a minute later with his fourth point from play.

The homeside gave themselves a lifeline with a point in the 41st minute and a goal two minutes later. They were pressing Davitts hard and a combination of some terrific defending with Patrick Keadin, Kevin Gallagher and Dmitry Trench to the fore and a few smart saves by David Mitchell kept Davitts well ahead.

Gaels kicked another point in the 48th minute before a barren nine minute scoring spell was ended by Davitts full forward Darragh McGale. He notched his second goal of the game after collecting a long Liam Kearns pass and blasting past the keeper to the roof of the net. Mayo Gaels finished the game off with three points as Davitts comfortably saw the game out.

This was a very good team effort by Davitts with all of the players on top of their game.

Davitts: David Mitchell, Patrick Keadin, Cathal Higgins, Kevin Gallagher, Dmitry Trench, Padraig Mangan, Liam Macken (0-1), William Freeley, Ronan McNamara (0-3), Stephen Nyland (0-1), Liam Kearns (0-4), Shane Treacy (0-1), Evan Ronane (0-4), Darragh McGale (2-0), Ryan McLoughlin. Subs used: Liam Noone, Jack Ronayne, Tommy Clarke.

• By darraghmc
• In Match Reports

Davitts 1-12

Cill Chomain 1-8

When those two sides earlier on in the Minor League Div 4, Davitts ran out the winners by seventeen points in a game played in Ballindine. On Bank Holiday Monday they met again in the League Final with Davitts again coming out on top by four points, after a much tighter game played in Knockmore in ideal conditions.

Points from Stephen Nyland (2), Zack Keadin and Fenton Kelly had Davitts ahead by 0-4 to 0-1 after ten minutes. Both defences were doing well as the scores were becoming harder to come by. Cill Chomain narrowed the deficit to a single point with converted frees in the 17^th and 22^nd minutes before Jack Devane fired over a super point in the 24^th minute to put Davitts two up. Stephen Nyland extended the lead to three and Cill Chomain shot the half’s final score in injury time to leave Davitts ahead by 0-6 to 0-4 at halftime.

Stephen Nyland and Thomas Ronayne had early second half points for Davitts before Cill Chomain pulled one back. Niall Treacy, now becoming the game’s most influencial player, shot Davitts further clear with a point in the 8^th minute. Cill Chomain pointed twice in quick sucession but in the 11^th minute Davitts got the game’s crucial score, a Niall Treacy goal to put his side five points ahead. The goal started with Charlie Phillips long delivery being flicked on by Jack Trench to Stephen Nyland who in turn fed the strong running Gary Bourke. He offloaded to Treacy who took one solo before rifling the ball to the roof of the net for a cracking goal.

Cill Chomain narrowed the gap with a 12^th minute point but three Davitts points in the 16^th, 17^th and 18^th minutes from Stephen Nyland, Niall Treacy and Sean Feerick gave Davitts breathing space as they looked set to power on.

Niall Treacy, rather unluckily, picked up a second yellow card with eleven minutes remaining, and Davitts had to defend desperately until the final whistle. Cill Chomain converted a penalty with eight minutes remaining but they failed to score in the closing minutes due to some outstanding defending by the entire Davitts team, who held on to win by four points.

Cill Chomain put up a tremendous battle but Davitts took the title, with team captain Stephen Nyland accepting the trophy on behalf of his team afterwards.

Joe Prendergast was excellent in goals for Davitts with the marauding Thomas Ronayne (0-1) in top form in defence. He got great assistance from Charlie Phillips, Gary Bourke, Sean Feerick (0-1), Oisin O Connor, Fionan Gallagher and Micheal Hett.

Stephen Nyland (0-5) and Fenton Kelly (0-1) edged the midfield exchanges.

Up front Niall Treacy (1-2) demonstrated yet again why he is such a highly rated player until his dismissal. Jack Trench, Zack Keadin (0-1), Jack Devane (0-1), Daniel Corless, Bon Glynn, Jack Melvin and Cathal Corless all worked tirelessly to ensure that the title came Davitts way.

Well done to the management quartet of Liam Nyland, Derek Byrne, Lawrence Daly and Tommy Ronayne.

• By darraghmc
• In Match Reports