Search Results for 'Kevin McLoughlin'

The bookmakers have it that it will be a clash of north against south for the Moclair cup come next month, and while that may be where the money is going, it would be a foolish man who is counting out the chances of the men from the west ahead of Sunday.

Mayo continued their preparations ahead of their Connacht championship campaign opener against Sligo on Saturday week last Tuesday night when they played Kildare in a three period challenge behind closed doors in Longwood. It was Mayo’s fourth challenge game in 10 days, having previously beaten Cavan, Westmeath, and Dublin. Mayo went down by a point against the Lillywhites in a contest that was played over three 25 minute periods, with a side starting to look like it was taking shape for Saturday week’s game against Sligo. Tom Cunniffe continued at centre half back, flanked on either side by Peader Gardiner and Kevin McLoughlin. Kenneth O’Malley got a run out between the sticks for Mayo while Alan Dillon, who had been nursing an injury, came on to score a point. Donal Vaughn, another who picked up an injury in recent weeks, also made an appearance from the bench. Andy Moran was Mayo’s top scorer, kicking 1-4, while Conor Mortimer chipped in with five points from frees. The challenge game was the sixth in 10 days that many of the Mayo players had taken part in, including club games. They will get a break from club action ahead of the Sligo game with the club action in Mayo reverting back to the secondary league ahead of their championship clash and the start of the club senior and intermediate championship proper in a fortnight’s time around the county.

John O'Mahony named his squad for the championship on Monday, there were no major surprises in the 30 men named, with Belmullet's Billy Joe Padden the only man who wasn't involved in action so far this year coming back into contention. O'Mahony now has 33 days to get his team ready for Sligo in the Connacht championship opener.

Opportunity knocks for Mayo footballers next Sunday in Croker. A victory over Cork in the National League final would be an enormous achievement for this present group of players. On the basis of the compelling evidence of Mayo’s victory over the same opposition two weeks ago, I really do think a National League title is imminently achievable. Granted, next Sunday’s opposition have been making all the right soundings in their impressive league campaign with a number of good victories to their credit, but Mayo have also enjoyed a terrific league campaign, with six out of seven victories in the campaign. The question is being asked in these quarters, however, were Cork really trying in that last league game in Pairc Uí Chaoimh two weeks ago? As we know, Cork had already qualified for the league final before the last game and, to a certain extent, they had an influence on who they played in the final. To step off the gas and allow Mayo win without too much exertion might just present a handier opportunity to win a league title in Croker. A final against the Dubs in front of a large Dublin crowd just might not have been as easy, they might have been thinking. A few people have suggested to me that once Cork discovered that the Dubs were trouncing Tyrone in the first half in Omagh that same Sunday, their intensity dropped quite noticeably and they ambled through the remainder of the match unconcerned about the result. Nonetheless that was not the situation in the other games played in Division 1 when Mayo ground out impressive results against formidable opposition.

Mayo 2-12

Roscommon 2-9

Dublin 1-9    ::   Mayo 1-8

Mark Ronaldson was named in John O’Mahony’s starting 15 to face Dublin this Sunday in McHale Park, despite the Shurle Glencorrib player having his appeal over a four week ban turned down by a hearing committee on Wednesday night. No official word has yet been confirmed if Ronaldson is to appeal the decision of the committee which will see him miss Sunday’s game and the game the following Saturday night against Derry, with the suspension due to expire at midnight after the trip to Celtic Park on March 13.

Just after the final whistle had blown in McHale Park last Sunday evening and with the taste of victory still fresh in his mouth, Mayo manager John O’Mahony was still urging caution despite the comprehensive manner in which his side had just dismantled Galway. “It's two points at the end of the day, you won't be asking me about this next September, or October, or even July,” was O’Mahony take on people getting carried away following last Sunday’s result.

Mayo 2-14