THIRSTY WORK Knockmore’s Trevor Howley made his return to the Mayo colours against Antrim in a senior football challenge in Kiltimagh last Sunday.?Pic: Michael McLaughlin
Antrim present poor challenge
Mayo 3-11
Antrim 0-8Mike Finnerty
KiltimaghNO Mayo supporter will ever say a word to Jason Doherty for scoring goals but, in hindsight, it was just a pity that his eighth and ninth goals of the inter-county season came so early last Sunday.
Doherty had put the ball in the Antrim net twice by the third minute and we can only presume that this was one of the main reasons why the 2009 Ulster finalists lost all interest in making a game out of this senior challenge.
Overall, James Horan is likely to have been disappointed with the one-sided nature of this work-out.
He was without eight players who will be in contention to start when the Connacht championship throws in later this month so, in theory, this was the perfect opportunity to run the rule over some of their understudies.
Instead, Antrim arrived from their overnight stay in Sligo looking heavy-legged and disinterested. It will be fascinating to see what kind of performance they produce in a fortnight’s time when they meet Donegal in the Ulster championship.
One can only hope they muster up something better than this; Liam Bradley’s outfit scored two points in the first half and three more in the last ten minutes. They were terrible.
But back to Mayo.
Among the positives was the fact that there were no new injuries to report. Plus, Trevor Howley and Donal Vaughan both came through unscathed after their first starts in three months and eight months respectively.
Alan Feeney, Enda Varley, Seamus O’Shea, Neil Douglas and Kevin Dolan also made their re-appearances after their recent injury problems and all showed no ill-effects of their aches and pains.
Interestingly, Tom Cunniffe was started at centre-half back after spending all of the spring in the right corner. The Castlebar speed-merchant acquitted himself well in the absence of the injured Ger Cafferkey while Lee Keegan also made the most of his 35 minute stint at left-half back.
Elsewhere, James Kilcullen filled the role of ‘lead midfielder’ impressively while all of the forwards had their moments.
However, it is worth re-emphasising just how poor the opposition was.
Mayo played with the aid of a strong wind in the first half and Jason Doherty’s two early goals propelled the experimental line-out out in front.
The first came on 90 seconds after the Burrishoole corner-forward stole in behind his man to gather a long ball over the top. His left-footed finish was inch-perfect, low and hard into the corner.
A minute later and he had struck again. This time James Kilcullen came thundering through and crashed a shot off the crossbar, but Doherty was loitering with intent and buried the rebound past Sean O’Neill.
For the rest of the first half it was target-practice for Mayo. Aidan Campbell slotted three points (two from frees), Jason Doherty tacked on a couple too (one from play), and Enda Varley and James Kilcullen also found their range.
The score of the half though came from Aidan O’Shea who started, and finished, a move that also involved Cillian O’Connor and Lee Keegan.
Antrim’s only responses came from Paddy Cunningham and Aodhan Gallagher in the sixth and 25th minutes as they struggled to break down a Mayo defence where Trevor Howley played the role of ‘sweeper’ to perfection.
Unfortunately, the second half followed a similar pattern.
The surprisingly small crowd were left in no doubt that Antrim had given up the ghost soon after the restart as the northern visitors failed to make any inroads.
Turning into the final quarter Mayo led by 2-11 to 0-5 but, worryingly, their only score of the last twenty minutes came when Cillian O’Connor buried a goal on the hour mark.
Subs were tossed in by both managers as the game petered out and Antrim pulled a few scores back through Kevin Marron (two) and Tony Scullion to dull the pain a little.
As challenge games go though, this was a non-event.
MayoR Hennelly; E Reilly, A Feeney, D Vaughan; C Barrett, T Cunniffe, L Keegan; J Kilcullen (0-1), J Gibbons; A Campbell (0-3, 2fs), A O’Shea (0-1), C O’Connor (1-1); T Howley, E Varley (0-2), J Doherty (2-2, 1f).
Subs used: D Clarke, J Burke (0-1), D Gavin, S O’Shea, N Douglas, K Dolan, C Hallinan, A Freeman.
AntrimS O’Neill; C Brady, R Johnston, K O’Boyle; T Scullion (0-1), J Crozier, S Finch; C Murray (0-1), S Burke; K McGourty, M McCann (0-1, 1f), A Gallagher (0-1); K Brady, K Niblock, P Cunningham (0-2).
Subs used: T O’Neill, B Herron, A Healy, M Sweeney, D Edwards, B Neeson, K Marron (0-2).
Referee: F Flynn (Leitrim)
