February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Mike Fitzpatrick
Mayo 3-11, Roscommon 0-5
Mayo ran riot in this senior football Div. II tie versus their Division II rivals in a game where they were never behind, and looked like scoring every time they moved forward.
Although both sides opened a little nervously, with a couple of wides flying by the posts, Mayo soon stamped their authority on the game. Mickey McGahon opened the scoring with a well-taken point for Mayo, followed by efforts from Paddy Reddington and David Heaney.
Roscommon pulled a couple back through Richie Maher and Frank McArdle, but the side fell further behind when Goulding hit a shot over the bar for Mayo, and furthered the damage with a great goal, set up by some marvellous play from David Heaney.
Going into the break, Mayo were the better side, leading by four points.
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Although DJ Brennan hit one for Roscommon to threaten something of a comeback, Mayo’s reportedly heavy winter training schedule came to the fore, as they looked a lot fitter and sharper than they did last year. Heaney capped a great performance for Mayo with a thoroughly deserved goal after a couple of minutes into the second half, and Roscommon were then really on the ropes.
Ronan Goulding upped the ante with another couple of points, and midway through the second half it became obvious who was going to win this one.
Mayo certainly surprised a few people with this performance, and if they can continue to perform at this level they could be up there at the end of the season. Having suffered a bad season last year, they were out for revenge on all the sides who stole points from them.
It’s a tough division, Cork, relegated from the top flight last year, will be out to top the group, and then there’s the likes of Rockland, aiming to get to the top division having played junior football last year. Roscommon, let’s face it, were poor. Although they had players who tried their damnedest, at times they seemed exhausted, and allowed Mayo to run riot over them.
Mayo never let up, and continued scoring late into the game. Tuohy, Reddington, Gerry Gillespie and Goulding added further scores, and a late goal from substitute Alan Ryan put the final nail in Roscommon’s coffin.
Mayo: Gary Staunton, Niall MCMahon, Dave Hyland, Danis Curtin, Mick Reddington, Pierce O’Reilly, Eamonn McEvoy, David Heaney (1-1), Kevin Tuohy (0-1), Thomas Gallagher, Mickey McGahon (0-1), Ollie Flynn (0-1), Gerry Gillespie (0-1), Ronan Goulding (1-4), Paddy Reddington (0-2). Subs: Thomas Maher, Alan Ryan (1-0)
Roscommon: Paul Levins, Ollie Hoare, Mike Rennicks, Joe Naughton, Tom Simms, Ken Deacon, Brian Dolan, DJ Brennan (0-2), Peter Mahon, Donie Farrell, Frank McArdle (0-2), Richie Maher (0-1), John Conneally, John Stack, Joe Murray