While they might not have the glamour of the championship or the expectation of the national league, Mayo and Galway games are always somthing to savour. And only a fortnight after they came together in the opening round of the league, Mayo and Galway will lock horns again on Sunday afternoon in McHale Park in the final of the FBD League with the prize of an away final against New York later in the year in the offing. Galway will be gunning for Mayo after they were comprehensively beaten in the league opener. Mayo picked up their second win of the campaign last weekend with a 1-12 to 1-11 win over Tyrone in Healy Park. Mayo hung on to come out on top by the most slender of margins, after hitting six points without reply to put them four points up midway through the second half, before the homeside rallied in the final 10 minutes to cut the gap to one as time ticked down. Mark Ronaldson had his scoring boots on again as he continued to carry on the good form he has shown since the turn of the year, bagging 1-6 last Sunday, with four of his points coming from play. Donal Vaughan was another who impressed over the course of the game as the young Ballinrobe man continues to develop well in the early stages of his inter-county career. John O’Mahony also used last weeks game to give a number of players some game time off the bench, with Barry Kelly, Kieran Conroy, Neil Douglas, and Mikey Sweeney all getting their first game time of the national league this term.
Galway for their part turned it around last weekend against Monaghan in the league seeing off the Farney county men by 1-20 to 1-14 in Pearse Stadium. The tribesmen full forward line contributed 1-15 of their total for the day. Michael Meehan, who caused the Mayo defence all kinds of problems when he was introduced as a sub in the game a fortnight ago, bagged 0-6, while Nicky Joyce chipped in with 1-4 and Sean Armstrong hit five points. The scoring threat offered by the Galway forward line will be something Mayo will have to try to curb early, and with Keith Higgins on hurling duty it will mean a new man getting a chance to impress with either Liam O’Malley or Alan Feeney the most likely to battle it out for Higgins’s spot. The action gets under way at 2.30pm in McHale Park.
Ladies look for second win
The Mayo ladies picked up their first win of the national league last weekend when they saw off the challenge of Tyron, by 2-12 to 3-7 in Ballyheane. Cora Staunton was the star of the show scoring 10 points for Mayo, meaning all but four scores on the day came from the Carnacon sharp shooter. Sinead Cafferkey and Fiona McHale each bagged a goal while Ciara Hanahoe and Lisa Cafferkey chipped in with a point each. This weekend Mayo will be in action at home again when they take on Dublin on Sunday at 2pm.
