A general view of Tuam Stadium. Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile
Electric Ireland Connacht Minor Football Championship
Mayo 2-13 Galway 1-6
Roscommon 2-15 Leitrim 1-9
Mayo confirmed their status as front runners for provincial honours and maybe more too, as they racked up a second consecutive big win in the Electric Ireland Connacht MFC tonight, while in Ballinamore, Roscommon secured a local derby win over Leitrim to follow on from last week’s victory over Galway.
It was Mayo’s turn to take on the young Tribesmen tonight as they made the short trip down to Tuam Stadium, and they wasted no time in asserting themselves, building up a 1-4 to 0-1 lead with just 11 minutes gone. Harry McHale was the goalscorer, getting on the end of a slick series of passes that saw Mayo advance the ball in from the left wing and open up a clean look at goal, while Evan Walsh struck 0-4 for the rampant visitors.
Galway made three changes at half-time and they got an immediate bounce in the shape of Charlie Killeen’s right footed shot that was drilled low to the bottom corner of the Mayo net, but Mayo didn’t wait long to strike back, with Oisín Deane firing in a second goal after he stepped inside the goalkeeper and rifled a low shot through heavy traffic.
Dylan Flynn, Kobe McDonald and Walsh added further points as Mayo cruised to a 2-13 to 1-6 victory, with games against Sligo and Leitrim still to come.
Roscommon were no less comfortable in Ballinamore, running out 2-15 to 1-9 winners over the home side and putting themselves in a very strong position to claim at least a semi-final spot.
Bailey McBride kicked the pick of the scores for the home side as they edged a very enjoyable opening 10 minutes by the odd score in seven, but Roscommon got on a good run from there and outscored their hosts by 0-5 to no score in the next ten minutes, two from Dean Casey frees and a show stopper from Stephen Tighe in the mix as well.
Midfielder Declan Kennedy (Shannon Gaels), one of several Roscommon players from Leitrim border clubs who had a big night, helped set up his Elphin colleague Cathal Enright for a classy low finish for Roscommon’s first goal, but Leitrim responded well and when Oran Foley pounced on a break and found the net, there was just three between the teams again.
Daire McCabe’s free two minutes into the second half cut that gap even further, but Roscommon always had a bit more up front and after they gradually pushed the lead back out to six, they put the stamp on their win through Dara Curran’s goal in the 55th minute.