Mayo continue their winning ways in 2016

Posted in Connect on January 11, 2016.

Mayo enjoyed a comfortable win against IT Sligo at James Stephens Park in Ballina yesterday, beating the students 1-16 to 0-8.

Mayo made six changes from the side that started against NUIG the week before with Matthew Flanagan getting the nod in goal and Ger Cafferkey, Keith Higgins and David Kenny coming into the defence, Caolan Crowe partnered Jason Gibbons in the middle of the park and Andrew Farrell was handed the number 12 shirt.

Newcomers Keith Ruttledge, Darren McHale and Andrew Farrell impressed in a forward line in which all six hit the target. Mark Ronaldson scored four points from play and put in a man of the match performance.

Despite the best efforts of Adam Traynor, Ray Connolly and Niall Walsh IT Sligo never appeared to heve the better of the Mayo defence and Kevin McLoughlin simple finish, which he poked into goal 15 minutes from time seemed to put an end to the match.

The second win of the Stephen Rochford era sees Mayo top the Connaught League group alongside Roscommon who they will now have to face in Hyde Park next Sunday to decide who goes through to the FBD final.

Whilst their winning start to the new campaign is promising, Roscommon, who have joined Mayo in Division 1 this season, are set to provide the first real test for the new management team “Roscommon will be a more realistic test as they are now in Division 1 and we are preparing for two tough opening games in the League, away to Cork and then Dublin” according to Stephen Rochford.