Leauge champions St Mary's headed for Connacht Gold SFC Relegation Final after Ballinamore hammering

League champions St Mary's Kiltoghert suffering a final day meltdown as Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins locked up third place in the Connacht Gold SFC Group stages table while Leitrim Gaels and Fenagh St Caillins cruised to expected final day victories to seal automatic semi-final spots.

Leitrim Gaels and Fenagh St Caillins finished top of the table with automatic semi-final spots while Ballinamore's victory over St Mary's sees them set up a derby meeting with neighbours Aughawillan while defending champions Mohill take on Glencar Manorhamilton in the other semi-final as St Mary's Kiltoghert and Melvin Gaels will battle it out to avoid the drop to the Intermediate ranks.

On a dramatic final day, St Mary's Kiltoghert had to beat Ballinamore to secure their place in the knockout stages but apart from a Paul Keaney free after just 30 seconds, the Carrick men never led in this encounter as a much more efficient and clinical Sean O'Heslins took control of the tie when they broke on 15 minutes and Keelan McHugh provided the final pass for Paul Honeyman to fist to the net.

Ballinamore's ability to go long and quickly exposed St Mary's defence time and time again as they visitors led 1-9 to 0-4 at Pairc Naomh Mhuire at the halftime break. With St Mary's not taking soem chances, Ballinamore hit the first five points of the second half to put the game beyond the reach of the home side after just 37 minutes and from there to the finish, O'Heslins cruised home to a comfortable victory.

It leaves St Mary's, champions in 2022 and finalists in 2020 and 2023, heading into a a relegation playoff where they will face Melvin Gaels who suffered a 4-16 to 1-9 defeat at the hands of Fenagh St Caillins in Melvin Park. Most of the damage was done in the first half with the Fenagh men leading 3-12 to 1-5 at the break, the visitors adding 1-4 in the second half to four points from the home side.

After the conclusion of Connacht Gold SFC Round 4 & verification of the scores the next games are as follows:

SF - Leitrim Gaels
SF - Fenagh St Caillins

QF 1 - Ballinamore SOH v Aughawillan
QF 2 - Mohill v Glencar-Manor

Relegation Final - St Mary’s Kilt v Melvin Gaels

*Dates… pic.twitter.com/leZ9l6QQgE

— Leitrim GAA (@LeitrimGAA) September 13, 2025

Leitrim Gaels scored a 1-18 to 0-14 victory in Boggaun over Glencar Manorhamilton, the home side hitting the last nine points of the contest to take the rough look off the scoreline. The Gaels led 1-14 to 0-5 at the break and landed the first four scores of the second half to lead by 16 points before the home team landed nine unanswered points in the final ten minutes.

The big drama came in Cloone where a defiant Aughawillan put County Champions Mohill to the pin of their collars to emerge with a 3-16 to 1-16 victory. Mohill got off to a great start with a goal inside three minutes and a second goal on 17 minutes left them 2-4 to 0-5 in front.

However, a series of two pointers and a goal from Tom Plunkett left Aughawillan a point to the good approaching halftime but two late Mohill points had them 2-7 to 1-9 in front. Aughawillan drew level ten minutes into the second half but Mohill were able to respond before a third Mohill goal on 56 minutes gave them a six point winning margin at the end.