Connacht FBD League: Mayo lay down marker against Roscommon

Connacht FBD League

MAYO 0-22 (0-6-10) ROSCOMMON 1-6 (1-0-6)

By Kevin Egan at King & Moffatt Dr. Hyde Park

A sensational display of shooting from Mayo with the breeze at their backs saw them sail into an FBD final clash with Galway next weekend, while Andy Moran’s charges also laid down a marker in advance of a future meeting with the Rossies in the league and a potential Connacht semi-final clash in the early part of the summer.

Mayo scored eight times in each half, but six of their eight scores after the break were struck from outside the arc, taking full advantage of a deceptively strong breeze.

The visitors were no less dominant in the opening 30 minutes, albeit they found it more difficult to put scores on the board shooting into the graveyard end. They looked sharp in their handling but in a condensed scoring zone, Roscommon often found a way to get a hand in and force a spill or an interception.

Enda Hession kicked the opening score and Rob Hennelly struck two 45s beautifully but that still only left the game level thanks to Daire Cregg’s goal, finished with every bit as much precision as Caelim Keogh demonstrated with his 40 metre pass into the full forward.

Not all Roscommon passes were as precise. The home side had eight wides in the first half, five of those were attempted deliveries into the full forward line that ran out dead, there were very few actual scoring chances.

Cregg and Heneghan hit the target to keep the game tight approaching half-time but Mayo found a surge before the break to pick off points from Hession and Jack Carney, and within three minutes of the second half starting, the lead was out to eight (0-13 to 1-2) following majestic doubles from Carney and Ryan O’Donoghue, as well as a simple point from the latter on a turnover play.

Roscommon were competitive in the battle for breaking ball but up front, it simply didn’t happen for them. Diarmuid Murtagh missed chances that he would normally convert with ease, Eoin Ward had a low goalbound shot blocked by Hennelly and Eoin Colleran hit the foot of the post with another attempt, again Hennelly making a crucial stop.

Even if Roscommon had found the net however, Mayo had plenty to spare. Tom Lydon came off the bench to make an impression with two superb two-pointers from the left wing and Adam Barrett also joined in the fun with a long range score after coming off the bench, staking a claim for further minutes in another local derby game next weekend.

Scorers for Mayo: Ryan O’Donoghue 0-4 (1tp, 0-1f), Jack Carney 0-4 (1tp), Tom Lydon 0-4 (2tp), Enda Hession 0-2, Rob Hennelly 0-2 (2 45s), Adam Barrett 0-2 (1tp), Tommy Conroy 0-2 (1tp), Darragh Beirne 0-1f, Aidan O’Shea 0-1,

Scorers for Roscommon: Daire Cregg 1-3 (0-2f), Darragh Heneghan 0-1, Dylan Ruane 0-1, Cian McKeon 0-1

MAYO: Rob Hennelly; Enda Hession, Rory Brickenden, Liam Golden; Paddy Durcan, Mickael Plunkett, Cathal Keaveney; Bob Tuohy, David McBrien; Diarmuid Duffy, Ryan O’Donoghue, Seamus Howard; Darragh Beirne, Aidan O’Shea, Tommy Conroy.

Subs: Jack Carney for Duffy (27), Stephen Coen for Durcan (27), Adam Barrett for Beirne (half-time), Oisín Jordan for Keaveney (40), Niall Hurley for O’Shea (43), Liam Donoghue for Howard (45), Tom Lydon for Conroy (48), John McMonagle for McBrien (50).

ROSCOMMON: Aaron Brady; Patrick Gavin, Eoin McCormack, Mark Richardson; Oisín Cregg, Caelim Keogh, Senan Lambe; Conor Ryan, Declan Kenny; Darragh Heneghan, Cian McKeon, Dylan Ruane; Diarmuid Murtagh, Daire Cregg, Jack Tumulty.

Subs: Paul Carey for Kenny (26), Eoin Colleran for Tumulty (28), Eoin Ward for O Cregg (36), Cathal Heneghan for Murtagh (43), Seán Canning for D Heneghan (45), Niall Higgins for Richardson (47), Richard Hughes for S Lambe (50), Rob Heneghan for McKeon (52), Ronan Daly for C Heneghan (60)

Referee: James Molloy (Galway).