Mayo Minor and U-16 girls secure handsome wins over Leitrim

THE Mayo Minor and U-16 girls teams enjoyed impressive wins over Leitrim as they continued their unblemished Connacht campaigns.

The Minors were outstanding as they marched to a 4-13 0-4 half-time lead in sunny Charlestown before winning 6-20 0-4.

Mayo had some superb performers on the night, with Kate Byrne shooting 3-3 while Mayo senior Kayla Doherty kicked ten points.

“We dominated from start to finish,” Mayo manager Brian McLoughlin told The Mayo News after the game. “The most pleasing part was that, as a team, we played really well and kicked some great scores.

Leitrim had only just gotten off the mark after a dominant opening few minutes from Mayo, who hit the opposition net with a clinical strike from Byrne.

Two more quick goals from Byrne and Aoife Meaney put the game to bed. Mayo continued to turn the screw with points from Byrne, Doherty and Ashleagh Sammon before Megan Rooney got Leitrim’s fourth and final score of the game.

Byrne then secured her hat-trick to give Mayo a yawning 21-point half-time lead at the break.

Mayo ran their bench in the second half, handing intercounty debuts to Kate Morrison, Hannah Breslin and Anna Mai Regan.

The hosts added another 2-7 in the second half, with their main misfortune coming in the form of a knee injury to substitute Muireann Nolan.

Mayo continued to shine all over the field and would have finished with more than six goals were it not for some fine goalkeeping from Lauren Scott in the early stages.

Brian McLoughlin’s girls got their fifth goal from Ali Hughes and kicked the game’s last score with a brilliant goal from the hard-working Rhona Brennan.

Leitrim had some fine performances from Siofra Mooney, Eabha McCartin, Megan Rooney, Meabh McNamara, Saoirse Davis and Maria Faughnan.

The Mayo Minors face Roscommon in the second round of the Connacht championship in St Croan’s GAA Club, Ballintubber, Co Roscommon, on Wednesday, April 16, at 7 pm.

U-16 SUCCESS

ELSEWHERE, the Mayo U-16 girls also enjoyed a win over Leitrim despite making harder work of the victory.

Facing what Mayo manager Francis Regan called ‘probably one of the strongest Leitrim teams we’ve seen in a long time, ’ Mayo secured a 3-12 1-11 in Kiltubrid just six days after an impressive win over Galway in Dunmore.

“It’s a credit to them. They put up a really good fight,” Regan told The Mayo News.

“We got off to a good start, always going to be a bit of a comedown after beating Galway last week, so it was a good solid test that we needed.”

Despite getting plenty of chances, Mayo struggled to steal a march on their hosts. Goals from Saoirlaith Dillon (who kicked 1-5), Mikayla McLoughlin and Ailbhe Ferguson had the guests 3-6 1-6 up at the break. However, only a pointed separated Mayo and a plucky Leitrim team in the second half, where standout displays from McLoughlin, Dillon, Katie Hughes (who scored 0-5), Isabelle Basquelle, Sophie Tiernan, Amy Doherty and Aoibheann McNamara saw Mayo win by seven.

The Mayo U-16s go in search of their third win in three games in the Connacht championship when they entertain Sligo in Charlestown on Monday, April 21, at 4 pm.