Charlestown Sarsfields secured their senior status for 2025 with a merited 2-10 to 1-10 victory over Belmullet in the relegation semi-final played at the Knockmore G.A.A. grounds recently.
The Sarsfields played the better football throughout and could and should have won by more as they left several chances behind them in both halves and kept the men from Erris in the game for far longer than they should as they rolled the dice in the closing stages with Belmullet narrowing the gap to two points having trailed by seven with ten minutes remaining.
The Sarsfields tinkered with their starting line-up before the throw-in, recasting a number of players in different positions in a bid to get the best out of the personnel available to them. They got off to a slow start as Belmullet bossed the opening exchanges and kicked the first two points care of a pair of Ryan O`Donohue frees with referee Jerome Henry punishing some lax Sarsfields tackling.
Belmullet were making all the early running but the Sarsfields gradually grew into the game and kicked the next four points as they moved the ball well through the lines with Paul Towey, Jack Mahon, Paddy Goldrick and Towey again from a free putting the East Mayo two clear as they took a firm grip of the match in the key middle third zone.

The Sarsfields extended their lead to four with Matt Lenehan kicking a lovely score from play which was followed up minutes later by a free from Paul Towey after he was fouled in the act of shooting.
The green and white men continued to keep a tight defensive rein on Belmullet danger man Ryan O`Donoghue with Fergal Quinn doing an excellent job man marking job ably assisted by Jack Mahon who acted as sweeper and executed the role to perfection reading the danger and closing down the space in and around O`Donoghue while also springing forward at every opportunity to kick a fine point and distribute intelligently at all times.

Both sides swapped points before the interval with Towey kicking a peach from play while O`Donoghue kicked another free to leave the Sarsfields 0-7 to 0-5 in front which was a slim enough lead considering they played most of the football in the opening thirty.
Belmullet began the second half with a real sense of urgency as Ryan O`Donoghue popped over sixth point of the day as the Sarsfields were punished for another indiscretion close to their own goals.

The Belmullet men were beginning to believe that the game was theirs for the taking but the Sarsfields had no intentions of backing away and responded in the best possible fashion as they kicked 1-1 with their next two attacks as first Paul Towey kicked over a free having been fouled in front of the Belmullet goal with Jack Mahon providing a real fillip for the Sarsfields a minute later as he rounded off a slick Sarsfields move with a tidy finish as he dispatched a crisp shot past a helpless Shane Nallen in the Belmullet with the utmost of authority to put the Sarsfields five clear.

The Sarsfields looked much the more threatening team from broken play with Ruairi Cullen, Paddy Goldrick, Paul Towey, Matt Lenehan et al all able to break lines and run hard down the central channels which posed no end of problems for a North Mayo side that possessed nowhere the same level of threat as they laboured and never really managed to penetrate a well organised and solid Sarsfields rearguard with Ryan O`Donoghue their only outlet in terms of scores with frees the sole source of scores as they only managed one paltry point from play throughout sixty minutes of football which was their most obvious shortcoming on a disappointing day for the men in the red jerseys.

The Sarsfields continued to run lanes down the central area and from another such attack they worked another glorious opening with Ruairi Cullen and Matt Lenehan cutting lanes through the Erris rearguard with the latter placing Paul Towey with a perfectly placed pass with the goal gaping for the Sarsfields sharpshooter only for him to be hacked down in the art of shooting with referee Jerome Henry having no option but to point to the penalty spot. Towey picked himself up, dusted himself down and coolly blasted the ball past the despairing dive of Shane Nallen in the Belmullet goal to leave the Sarsfields in heaven as they led 2-8 to 0-7 with ten left on the clock.

Despite all their inadequacies Belmullet never gave up the ghost with their spirit and will to win keeping them alive when truth to tell they were second best in almost every line of the pitch. The Sarsfields had several chances to extend their lead and blew some glorious situations as they became tentative in possession with the last pass failing them on a number of occasions much to the frustration of their management and supporters.
Belmullet kept chipping away with frees being their only real route back into the game as O`Donoghue kicked three more to reduce the gap to five with two remaining. Some of the frees were extremely soft it must be said which irked the Sarsfields defenders as they threw their hands up in the air in frustration on numerous occasions. The referee was not for turning however and the North Mayo were handed a lifeline right on the stroke of full time when they were awarded a penalty with Ryan O`Donoghue adjudged to have been fouled deep in the heart of the Sarsfields square with the contact minimal at best but the decision was given despite heated Sarsfields protests.
Ronan Murray stepped forward and took on the responsibility with his strike just about evading the right hand of Patrick Walsh in the Sarsfields goal as it somehow found the bottom right hand corner with Walsh inches from diverting it around the right hand post. The goal, somehow, brought Belmullet right back into the game having looked dead and buried only minutes previously.,

The question was how much injury time was left to play with the resultant Sarsfields kickout assuming massive importance. Step forward the ever willing Sarsfields midfielder Paddy Lenehan who rose the highest to claim an absolutely priceless mark among a forest of giants to steady the Sarsfields nerves as they moved the ball around the field and forced the Belmullet men to come out and chase the game.

This spell of possession worked a treat for the men in green and white as Jack Mahon and Ruairi Cullen worked the opening with the latter finding Matt Lenehan in acres of space as he bore down on the Belmullet goal with a myriad of options at his disposal . He took the most sensible one as he arced his shot high and handsome between the posts to seal Belmullet`s fate with the final whistle sounding on the resultant re-start.

The last whistle was greeted with shouts of joy in the Sarsfields camp with the overriding emotion one of relief as they secured their senior status on the back of a display full of grit, spirit and no little skill as they put together two good halves of football and were much the better team even of the final scoreline might indicate otherwise.

They manned up in every line of the field and refused to countenance defeat in any shape or form and got that bit of luck that eluded them at the group stages to fashion and excellent victory with some outstanding performances very much the bedrock of a commanding performance.
The defence was excellent with Fergal Quinn marshalling Ryan O`Donoghue in expert fashion and never shirking his duties at any stage. He never allowed him a shot at the goals from play and was his constant shadow throughout. Niall Drudy and Tom Goldrick were solid and no nonsense in the full back line with keeper Paddy Walsh faultless between the posts as he kept his goal intact with authority and got his kick outs away expertly.

The half-back line were terrific throughout with the ageless David Caffery superb at right half back and Jack Corley equally as imperious at left half back. Gareth O`Donnell was commanding at centre back holding the line between defence and attack and always an outlet for possession as he swept intelligently across the 45 and used the ball intelligently and linked well with his fellow defenders and midfielders.

The midfield pairing of Paddy Goldrick and Paddy Lenehan were impressive with Goldrick kicking two outstanding points and bounding forward regularly to give the Sarsfields some real momentum as he broke lines with his pace and direct running. Paddy Lenenhan did the hard yards, scrapping for every scintilla of possession , tackling and hitting hard and forcing turnovers with typical dog determination. His magnificent catch in the dying embers proved absolutely pivotal to the final outcome as he left everything out there in the heat of the battle.

The attack were on it from the throw-in with Ruairi Cullen excellent at centre-forward as he was a willing runner throughout and made several thrusts up the middle in both halves which contributed to many of the Sarsfields best scores. He can be proud of his display as can Jack Mahon who fitted seamlessly into the sweeper position and played the role to an absolute tee reading the play with intelligence and averting the danger with shrewd positional play allied to his ability to sprint forward and join in the attack which saw him bag 1-1 of the Sarsfields final total.

Paul Towey was a real menace throughout for the Sarsfields kicking 1-5 of in another stellar scoring display as he offered himself for ball time and time again with his willingness to drive at the Belmullet defence and courage to take on the responsibility not to mention his cuteness in possession providing endless problems for an overworked Belmullet defence who never had a moment`s peace on what was a torrid day for them overall. Alan Woods and Ben Conway were very effective in a lively half-forward line with Conway`s pace and hard running proving to a trump card for the Sarsfields at key times in the match. Matt Lenehan was also excellent in the full forward line, kicking two outstanding points and linking well with Paul Towey and giving the Sarsfields another scoring threat as he put his injuries woes behind him to provide real leadership and direction to the Sarsfields forward line.

Owen Flannery also ran hard when introduced and never shirked his duties with this victory rounding off the season a high note in a year when the Sarsfields lost some real warriors with injuries and emigration decimating their panel and robbing them of some real pillars in the true sense of the word. The team is in something of a transition at the moment with some young players coming through all of whom need time to bed in and become attuned to the demands and speed of senior club football which takes time, commitment and patience. It was imperative that they clung on to their league and championship status however as to go down in either or both would have been a real blow and the fact that they held onto both gives them something to build on for the winter months as eyes drifty towards the 2025 campaign. The Sarsfields are a proud club built on many generations of great men with the likes of Aidan Higgins still togging out and putting in a shift twenty nine years on from his debut an indication of the calibre of men these young men have to look up to and emulate as he is without doubt one of a kind. Well done to the management team who got a good performance out of the team when expectations were perhaps at their lowest with Stephen Healy, Vinny Doherty, James Kilroy, Mike Horkan , James Breheny and Phil Craig leaving no stone unturned in the preparation and putting everything into the job from start to finish. Special mention to Physio Deirdre Doherty who was excellent in her role as team medic and was always available to patch lads up and provide the best in terms of medical care and advice. Sincere thank to the club who backed the team and management to the hilt with Chairman Liam Breheny, Secretary Kevin Deignan and Treasurer Tom McLoughlin providing unwavering support as everything was laid on for the team and management beyond reproach. Thanks also to Malachy Towey who provided food for the team and panel on more than one occasion which was very much appreciated by all involved. Well done to the players who manned up when the need was greatest and got the job done with senior status secured and tucked away with lots of soul searching to be done in the close season for many.