Mayo 0-20

Cavan 1-8

Colm Gannon reports from Hastings Insurance MacHale Park

MAYO GOT BACK to winning ways following their Connacht final defeat to Galway with a comprehensive nine-point success over Cavan in Castlebar.

But right at the death of the game, they were potentially dealt a blow to their intentions to go deep into the championship.

Team captain Paddy Durcan pulled up just before the final whistle and had to be carried off the field. Durcan had just returned to action as a second-half sub having missed the provincial final two weeks previously.

Kevin McStay’s side started the game in fine fettle, kicking the opening five points of the contest inside the opening quarter of an hour. Darren McHale, Matthew Ruane, Eoghan McLaughlin, Ryan O’Donoghue and Cillian O’Connor all pointed from play in this opening salvo.

Oisín Brady got Cavan’s first score of the game from a free on 15 minutes to get them into the game, by which stage the Ulster side had already racked up three wides. Their inefficiency all evening in front of the posts saw them always kept at arm’s length by the hosts.

Mayo tagged on the next two points thanks to frees from O’Donoghue to widen the gap out to six with 15 minutes to go in the half. Cavan hit a small purple patch in front of the posts before the break with Oisín Brady kicking another block of points from frees and efforts from play by Oisín Kiernan (An Dinn) and Ciarán Brady bringing their tally to five for the first half.

Mayo did tag on two more of their own before the turnaround with Ruane and Jack Carney raising the white flag to send Mayo in leading 0-9 to 0-5.

O’Donoghue and Tiarnan Madden swapped points not long after the resumption, but over the next 15 minutes Mayo reeled off four points without response to lead by eight and put the game to bed as a contest.

Brady did end that Cavan scoreless run with a pointed placed ball before Darren McHale and O’Donghue brought Mayo’s tally up to 0-16 with a quarter of an hour to go.

Cavan did get the only goal of the game through James Smith who fired home from close range to close the gap back to six points with 60 minutes gone on the clock.

Any thoughts of a comeback were quickly quashed by a run of two points on the spin for Mayo inside two minutes with Cillian O’Connor and O’Donoghue doing the necessary for the hosts to keep their noses well in front and send them on their way to victory.

Scorers for Mayo: Ryan O’Donoghue (0-7, 4f); Cillian O’Connor (0-4), Matthew Ruane (0-3), Darren McHale (0-2), Jack Carney (0-1), Stephen Coen (0-1), Eoghan McLaughin (0-1), Conor Loftus (0-1)

Scorers for Cavan: Oisin Brady (0-5,5f), James Smith (1-0), Ciaran Brady (0-1), Oisin Kiernan (An Dinn) (0-1), Tiernan Madden (0-1)

Mayo

1. Colm Reape (Knockmore)

2. Jack Coyne (Ballyhaunis)
3. David McBrien (Ballaghaderreen)
4. Donnacha McHugh (Castlebar Mitchels)

5. Stephen Coen (Hollymount-Carramore)
6. Sam Callinan (Ballina Stephenites)
7. Eoghan McLaughlin (Westport)

8. Matthew Ruane (Breaffy)
9. Diarmuid O’Connor (Ballintubber)

10. Jack Carney (Kilmeena)
11. Darren McHale (Knockmore)
12. Jordan Flynn (Crossmolina Deel Rovers)

23. Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber)
14. Tommy Conroy (The Neale)
15. Ryan O’Donoghue (Belmullet)

Subs: 21. Conor Loftus (Crossmolina Deel Rovers) for Donnacha McHugh; 26. Bob Tuohy (Castlebar Mitchels) for Jack Carney; 19. Paddy Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels) for Eoghan McLaughlin; 13. Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy) for Tommy Conroy (The Neale); 25. Paul Towey (Charlestown) for Matthew Ruane,

Cavan

1.Gary O’Rourke (Béal Átha hÉis)

2. Cian Reilly (Cill an Gharraí)
3. Killian Brady (Mullach Odhrain)
4. Brian O’Connell (Ramor Aontaithe)

5. Pádraig Faulkner (Dún a Rï)
6. Niall Carolan (Cuchulainn)
7. Conor Brady (Loch Gamhna)

8. James Smith (Cros ar Loch)
9. Oisín Kiernan (An Dinn)

10. Ciarán Brady (Ármhach)
11. Gerard Smith (An Leamhaí)
12. Oisín Kiernan (Caisleán Reathain)

13. Oisín Brady (Cill an Gharraí)
22. Conor Rehill (Cros ar Loch)
23. Jason McLoughlin (Gaeil Na Sionnainne)

Subs: 24. Tiarnan Madden (Loach Gamhna) for Killian Brady; 18. Luke Fortune (Gaeil an Chabain) for Conor Rehill; 25. Cian Madden (Loch Gamhna) for Niall Carolan, 14, Cormac Reilly (Mullach Odhrain) for Oisín Kiernan (Casisleán Reathain); 26. Darragh Lovett (Coil an Gharraí) for Conor Brady

Ref: David Coldrick (Meath)