Masters get off to a good startMayo 1-16
Galway 1-5Rob Murphy
ShruleTHE Mayo over 40s are the Kerry of the All-Ireland Masters championship with three titles in four years, including last year’s triumph. There is no denying the fact that this particular Mayo team are a force respected by all involved in this unique and still unofficial competition.
They launched their bid for retention of the title in Shrule last Thursday night and, in the drizzling summer rain, they easily dispatched a Galway side that have plenty of ground to make up if they are to challenge this year.
Mayo will have three more group games before the quarter-finals and will face the likes of Roscommon and Derry in the coming weeks.
However, they appear to be well placed to launch another title assault after an opening game that saw them put the contest beyond reach by half-time, leading by 0-10 to 0-1.
New manager Tommy Jordan stressed that the hard work in the last couple of months was done before he came on board and he was impressed with his side’s opening to the season.
“The boys have some great work done themselves,” he told The Mayo News. “Hopefully I can bring something extra to them but 90 per cent of the work is already done. It’s a good start and we’ll get the opportunity over these next group games to look at some of the new players.”
The pillars of the team are going to be hard to move in the coming weeks. John Pat Sheridan and, in particular, the superb Anthony McGarry were key men in the defence while in attack there were a host of good performances.
The full-forward line all scored; Noel Stagg hit four points from play, had one saved goal-bound shot, and another that cracked off the crossbar.
Kilmeena’s Darren Madden was also pivotal to the performance, popping up with some eye-catching points and adding a goal late on in the contest just after Galway had raised the green flag and threatened some sort of a late flourish.
The other main man was former Kiltane centre-forward Ciaran Carey. He kicked two long-range scores and made numerous others for a Mayo side that were vastly superior for long periods.
Mayo started in explosive fashion, notching up six points in ten minutes to just the single Galway reply from Tom Greavy. Four of those scores were fisted points as Mayo worked the ball in close to make sure the build-up play was rewarded.
It was impressive stuff and any lingering doubt about their dominance was quelled with two early second half points. However, Galway did outscore their opponents by 1-3 to 0-2 over the next 15 minutes.
A penalty from Paul Concannon was brilliantly saved by the impressive Declan O’Boyle who deflected the top-corner-bound shot over the bar.
Mayo scored twice after that before Paul Brady (Galway’s best performer) kicked a brace of scores and Tadgh Ó Curraoin’s shot was deflected past the keeper for a goal.
It was a brief lull for Mayo who were boosted by the introduction of Paul Jordan at half-time. The former Castlebar Mitchels ace was instrumental in much of their good play in the second half.
Ger Butler, who had many good days playing football in the border village, and kicked four points here, was satisfied with the result.
“It’s always good to beat Galway, especially on the border,” he smiled. “As Tommy Jordan said, the hardest thing you can be faced with is defending the title. Galway were not at their best today but It’s a good start.”
MayoD O’Boyle; G Sheridan, J P Sheridan, E Caulfield; E Ball, T Moriarty, A McGarry; MJ Walsh (0-1), K Gallagher; D Madden (1-3), C Carey (0-2), J Henry; N Stagg (0-4), G Butler (0-4, 2f), G Carmody (0-1).
Subs used: Paul Jordan (0-1), S McCaughey, B Cunningham, T Carolan, G Morahan.
GalwayV Larkin; H Walsh, P Curran, J Flaherty; T Flaherty, T Ó Curraoin (1-0), G Rabbitte; S Ó Rainne, C Ryan; E Walsh (0-1), P Brady (0-2), T Corbett; P Burke, T Greavy (0-1), M Reilly.
Subs used: C McGinley, K Mitchell, P Concannon (0-1).
Referee: V Hardiman.
Elsewhere on mayonews.ieAUDIO Mayo Masters manager Tommy Jordan on beating Galway
