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Mayo picked up their first win of the season with a six point win over IT Sligo in Ballina on Sunday, but they will have to serious up their performance if they are to pick up a second win next weekend when they face Roscommon in their final group game of the FBD League and improve even more two weeks later when they host Monaghan in the opening round of the National Football League. That was the message from Mayo manager Stephen Rochford post their win on Sunday.

It’s unlikely that you’ll ever see this combination of Mayo players ever line out together again for a competitive fixture, but it gave a number of players a taste of what it’s like in the big leagues they’ll not forget and some others who have serious designs on being around there for a long time plenty to work on.

This is the one that neutrals and supporters alike have been looking forward to since each side won its respective county title. The sides have met twice in the last three years, with Castlebar Mitchels gaining the upper hand on both of those occasions and going all the way to the All Ireland final. In the year they did not meet, Corofin saw off the best Mayo could offer, made it as far as St Patrick's Day, and brought the Andy Merrigan Cup home for the second time in their history.

A rainbow split the sky before throw in Sligo on Saturday afternoon and Castlebar Mitchels followed it to the end to find their way into a home Connacht semi-final against Corofin next Sunday in MacHale Park.

There is no let up for Mayo kingpins Castlebar Mitchels who have another seven day turnaround this week before they take on Sligo champions Tourlestrane in Markieviciz Park in the Connacht Senior Club Championship quarter-final tomorrow at 2pm. Declan O'Reilly's men were in scintillating form in last Saturday night's Mayo senior final when they ran out 3-13 to 0-10 winners over a valiant Knockmore side who ran out of gas in the second half when Mitchels really put the foot down.

Reigning champions Castlebar Mitchels qualified for a mouthwatering semifinal clash against neighbours Ballintubber, having had to pull out all the stops against a stubborn and well drilled Ballaghadeereen side in the quarter final of the Mayo Senior Football Championship last weekend. It was a thoroughly enjoyable game with some excellent scores from both teams despite the unfavourable heavy underfoot conditions.

They didn’t quite hit the net as many times as they did against Knockmore in the semi-final two years ago, but Ballintubber laid down a serious marker of intent in MacHale Park on Sunday afternoon, hammering Garrymore by 6-14 to 1-8 to set up a mouthwatering semi-final showdown against Castlebar Mitchels next weekend.

The sun shone across the county all weekend and while the thoughts of many would have been about 99’s and lounging on the beaches from Keem to Old Head, but for the club footballers around Mayo this wasn’t a weekend for soaking up the sun.

When St Patrick's day rolls around Castlebar Mitchels will be hoping they are preparing for a perfect ten out of ten record in championship games in the All Ireland final. The Mayo and Connacht champions have played in and won eight championship games since they opened their account on a rainy Saturday evening in Josie Munnelly Park against Ballaghaderreen early last summer.

Two years ago Castlebar Mitchels travelled to Tuam Stadium as rank underdogs against a Corofin side that were expected to see them off with ease and set up a Connacht final with the then All Ireland champions St Brigid's. But football doesn't always go along expected lines and a dogged and fearless Castlebar Mitchels side, who rode their luck at times early on in that game, ground out a deserved victory to kick-start a journey that went all the way to St Patrick's Day.