It was all one way traffic in Mayo this weekend.
And the Kiltimagh cars were the only ones motoring.
It’s not often you win by 36 points and keep a clean sheet in a gaelic football match so it was a job well done for the Mayo side in their home pitch on a stormy Sunday afternoon.
There isn’t much between Kiltimagh and Shrule/Glencorrib. There shouldn’t be this much anyway. Both clubs’ first teams play Intermediate grade club football in Mayo, while their second teams take part in the Junior B championship.
Those gradings suggest that the club’s second teams should be relatively evenly matched. The final scoreline of their championship clash this weekend suggested otherwise.
Kiltimagh’s youthful ran out pipe in the mouth, slippers on the feet 5-21 to 0-0 winners on their home turf.
A good day at the office for @KiltimaghGAA pic.twitter.com/rJb2UHnfcg
— Conor Heneghan (@conorheneghan1) April 22, 2018
After just over an hour of football, Shrule/Glencorrib had only managed a couple of shots at the Kiltimagh goal, to no avail, while the home side made hay down the other end.
Victorious manager Pa McNicholas was keen to assure us that it was more of a case of everything coming up for his side on the day, rather than a gulf in class existing between them and their south Mayo rivals.
“Everything just went right for our lads out there today,” McNicholas told SportsJOE.
“You know, Shrule/Glencorrib showed up with 19/20 players, it wasn’t as if they weren’t putting it in, but it was just a good day for our lads.
“You know, the next day, we could just as easily be on the opposite end of something like this. No two games are the same so we’re just happy it went well for us out there.”
Given the inclement weather conditions, McNicholas was slightly worried heading into the game that the setting might be more suited to the heavier opponents.
“I actually didn’t think the conditions would suit our lads going out into this game. It was wet and windy, they’re a heavier and older team than us.
“Only one of our players was over 30, there was a good few 17 and 18-year-olds and a few other lads in their mid 20s playing for us.”
He didn’t have to worry, with the club’s fruitful underage structures, and attacking playing style which they are preaching from the top down in the club, reaping rewards.
“We have a lot of young lads in the club, an awful lot of work has gone into the underage set-ups here. We’re bringing them through the ranks and slowly but surely the club is improving because of it.
“We only have a small pick, the club covers a small enough area but it’s tight-knit and that makes up for a lack of numbers.
“These lads are hungry for it. We’re getting them to play the exact same style of football as the senior team, an attacking, running game and that’s bringing them on.”
A fine day’s work for them.
It’s not the most one-sided scoreline we’ve heard of, however. Recently in Derry, St Mary’s Ardmore suffered a 6-22 to 0-0 defeat to Limavady in Division Three of the county football league.
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