All change for Mayo’s second game

BAD BREAK Aghamore's Cathal Freeman

All change for Mayo’s second game


Mike Finnerty

MAYO manager James Horan has named an entirely new starting fifteen for Sunday’s FBD Connacht League second round match against Roscommon in Ballyhaunis as seven players make their senior competitive debuts.
The selection, which was announced last night, contains just three of the side that started against Longford in the All-Ireland Qualifiers last June — Keith Higgins, Trevor Howley and Barry Moran.
Howley has recovered from a hamstring problem which kept him out of last Saturday’s win over GMIT while Moran, who has been receiving treatment for a hip injury since last week, is also set to line out for his first game of the new season.
Almost half the team are starting a competitive senior match for the first time in their careers, including Ballinrobe’s David Killeen, Castlebar’s Eoghan Reilly and Ballintubber’s Ruaidhrí O’Connor in defence.
Westport centre-back Lee Keegan and Ballaghaderreen midfielder James Kilcullen (who is recalled after three years in the inter-county wilderness) are also back in the mix.
Up front, newcomers like Crossmolina duo Ian Rowland and Brian Benson are joined by Aghamore’s Cathal Freeman and Killala’s Andrew Farrell, both of whom caught the eye at minor level in recent seasons.
Freeman, who was an outstanding county minor in 2008, has been out of action since breaking his leg in a club match eighteen months ago. However, he has worked incredibly hard to get back to full fitness and is named at centre-forward.
Farrell, meanwhile, is a hard-working half-forward who caught the eye on Mayo minor duty during the summer of 2009 and is the first player from a junior club to feature in the FBD League for Mayo this season.
Sunday’s match throws-in at 2pm with Sligo’s Michael Duffy in charge of the whistle.

Mayo
Kenneth O’Malley (Ballinrobe); Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis), David Killeen (Ballinrobe), Eoghan Reilly (Castlebar Mitchels); Trevor Howley (Knockmore), Lee Keegan (Westport), Ruaidhrí O’Connor (Ballintubber); James Kilcullen (Ballaghaderreen), Barry Moran (Castlebar); Ian Rowland (Crossmolina), Cathal Freeman (Aghamore), Andrew Farrell (Killala); Enda Varley (Garrymore), Mark Ronaldson (Shrule-Glencorrib), Brian Benson (Crossmolina).
Subs to be announced.