Mayo topple Diane O’Hora’s Kildare in Ballina

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Round 2

Mayo 2-15 Kildare 0-5 

In Ballina 

An excellent first half put a damper on Diane O’Hora’s homecoming as Liam McHale’s Mayo got the better of her Kildare side this afternoon. 

Mayo have now qualified from their three-team championship group after the All-Ireland Intemediate champions failed to mount a serious challenge. 

A short, second-half burst from the reigning All-Ireland Intermediate champions produced three points and several fine saves from Mayo’s Laura Brennan.

By then, the hosts had already built up a commanding lead thanks to some fine displays all over the field. 

Kildare only scored once in a first half where they were almost totally snuffed out by Mayo.

Before long, McHale’s ladies were well ahead of O’Hora’s lassies, with Mayo’s dogged middle eight providing the launch pad for a 1-10 to 0-1 half-time lead. 

A goal from the ever-dependable finisher Lisa Cafferky was among several highlights of Mayo’s first half-display, which more than compensated for a slight dip in intensity which occurred in the second half. 

Kildare made three changes at half-time and turned the screw in the final third, but were denied on numerous occasions by the outstanding Laura Brennan. 

Mayo shipped three points before they got back to scoring ways in the final quarter, which ended positively when Aoife Staunton set up substitute Sinéad Cafferky for the game’s final score. 

There will be a full report plus reaction carried in Tuesday’s Mayo News..