Breaffy 0-09 Castlebar Mitchells 4-10
A Neil Douglas hat-trick helped Castlebar Mitchels claim their 29th Moclair Cup in a convincing victory over Breaffy in the Mayo senior football final at MacHale Park.
Danny Kirby also weighed in with 1-03 for the winners as Breaffy's wait for a first county senior crown goes on.
Breaffy had no answer to Mitchels' superiority right across the field as the champions easily quelled the influence of Aidan and Seamus O'Shea, which proved crucial.
This was only Breaffy's second appearance in the Mayo senior final and even by half-time when they had played 30 minutes with the aid of a strong wind, it was clear that this decider would finish the same was as the 2013 game: with a Castlebar victory.
And it had stated so well for Breaffy too. A free from Tommy O'Reilly on the right had given them a fifth minute lead and two minutes later the youngest of the three O'Shea brothers on the team, Conor, landed a splendid free from distance on the left to make it 0-02 to 0-00.
However, Mitchels soon quenched any hopes of a first Moclair Cup for their near neighbours. After the outstanding Richie Feeney was fouled Aidan Walsh got his side off the mark in the ninth minute. And shortly after Danny Kirby was penalised for over-carrying with the goal at his mercy, the Mayo inter-county man levelled matters with the first point from play.
Despite the wind advantage, Breaffy struggled to get quality ball into their forward line, but they landed their third free of the game after 17 minutes when goalkeeper Robbie Hennelly drilled over a kick from the right from 55 metres out to make it 0-03 to 0-02.
But in the next 11 minutes Castlebar Mitchels took total control and moved close to their second Mayo title in three years.
A point from the outstanding Eoghan O'Reilly got them up and running, before Kirby brought a sloppy goalmouth scramble to an end when he rattled the roof of the net from close range to open out a three-point advantage.
Feeney and Kirby were causing endless problems in the full-forward line for Mitchels and after a spell on the sidelines due to a blood injury, Feeney sent Neil Douglas in for his side's second goal two minutes from the break as the lead stretched top seven points.
Kirby punched a free from Douglas over the bar as it dropped short moments later, but Breaffy finished the half well with points from Gary Walsh and Seamus O'Shea, which saw them trail by 2-5 to 0-5 at the interval.
To their credit Breaffy mustered a huge challenge in the early stages of the second-half and had Tommy O'Reilly bullet shot found the top corner rather than hit the post in the 32nd minute it could have been a far different result.
Matthew Ruane was also denied a goal by Alan Feeney two minutes later and after that goal chance went unclaimed, Mitchels took control again.
A black card for Barry Moran in the 35th minute didn’t halt their progress either and a great point on the break from Kirby opened their lead out to 2-07 to 0-05 with 19 minutes remaining.
Richie Feeney got himself on the scoreboard from distance soon after, and he also launched the move that saw Douglas bag his second goal midway through the half.
And four minutes from the end Douglas completed his hat-trick to clinch a memorable victory for Mitchels in their fifth county final appearance in the last six years.
Castlebar Mitchels: R Byrne (capt); A Feeney, R O'Malley, D Newcombe; P Durcan, E O'Reilly (0-01), G McDonagh; A Walsh (0-03, 0-03f), B Moran; S Hopkins, N Lydon, N Douglas (3-01); T Cunniffe, R Feeney (0-01), D Kirby (1-03).
Subs used: J Durcan for R Feeney (24-26 blood), J Durcan (0-01) for Moran (36 BC), C Costello for Hopkins (43), F Durkin for Lydon (45), R Burke for O'Malley (48), S Conlon for Newcombe (57), M Towey for R Feeney (61).
Breaffy: R Hennelly (0-01, 0-01f); C Jordan, M Jennings, M Hall; R Martyn, C Kelly, D Gavin; R Fadden, S O'Shea (0-01); C O'Shea (0-04, 0-02f), A O'Shea (capt), K Mulchrone; G Dunne, G Walsh (0-01), T O'Reilly (0-01, 0-01f).
Subs used: M Ruane for Dunne (27), D Cannon for Kelly (38), L Irwin for Walsh (43), G Jennings for Mulchrone (43), P Dravins (0-01) for Fadden (50), D Morrin for Martyn (56).
Referee: Liam Devenney
