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The Mayo senior hurling team got off to a winning start last weekend in their first game under newly appointed manager, Christy Philips. The Limerick native had previously acted as a selector under previous manager Murt Connolly during his two years in charge of the side. Last Sunday afternoon in the Connacht Centre of Excellence in Bekan, Mayo faced Donegal in Philips’ first game in charge of the team. Despite having to play without a number of regular starters from the last few years Philips’ side managed to see off the challenge of their Ulster opponents by a single point on a scoreline of 3-7 to 1-12.

Whatever about losing a game by 14 points and having to deal with the fall out of that and your second defeat on the trot, the Mayo hurlers made the headlines both locally and nationally for all the wrong reasons last weekend. Murt Connolly’s side were in Ruislip last weekend to take on London on Saturday, but it was what happened on Sunday when they missed their flight home from Luton airport that made the headlines.

Fresh off the back of their defeat in the National Hurling League Division 3B final last weekend, the Mayo senior hurling team will be in action in the Christy Ring Cup on Saturday afternoon against Wicklow in McHale Park. Having won their first five games on the trot, Mayo lost their last two and it was a disappointing end to the league according to Mayo manager Murt Connolly. “It was a disappointing end of the league, we didn’t finish off as we would have liked to, maybe the wins we had early on built in some complacency no matter how hard we try to guard against it.”

“You can’t take anything from that game against Roscommon on the first day of the league. It was a long time ago, everyone’s first game, and there were a few lads sent off for what were really nothing challenges,” Mayo manager Murt Connolly said this week when asked about his side’s previous encounter with Roscommon having any bearing on the outcome of this Sunday’s National Hurling League Division 3b final.

James Horan waited until the action in the Sigerson Cup had concluded on Thursday afternoon before selecting his side for this Sunday’s clash with Kerry in McHale Park. Horan has made a number of changes from the side that lined out against Down in the opening round of the National League a fortnight ago. Into goal comes Breaffy’s Robert Hennelly for his first start in the Allianz League, the Breaffy man has been one of the most constant performers for both club and the underage county sides over the past few years. Tom Cunniffe holds onto his spot in the corner, with Ger Cafferkey moving back to full back after being previously placed at centre half back in the league opener. Belmullet Chris Barrett who didn’t make the match day 26 for the league opener gets the nod at number four. Peadar Gardiner and Trevor Howley come into the half back line with Kevin McLoughlin holding on to his spot along that line. The midfield pairing of Jason Gibbons and Ronan McGarrity will once again patrol the middle third. The Ballintubber and Ballina Stephenites combination looks like one that will be the preferred one for Horan in the long run. Aidan Campbell comes into the side in the half forward line with Andy Moran getting the number 11 shirt with Alan Dillon on the other flank. Aidan O’Shea moves into the corner from the last day out in the league, with Aidan Kilcoyne being rewarded for his good showing against NUIG getting the nod at full forward with Mark Ronaldson retaining his place in the corner. Mayo are of course without the injured duo of Alan Freeman and Enda Varley from the side which started against Down and a number of other players are still out injured since before the start of the season.

Those souls who made the trip to Ballyhaunis last Sunday were left sorely disappointed when the man in black, TJ Keaveney from Sligo, decided that there would be no action on display because of a frozen pitch. The game which was originally down for Ballinamore in Leitrim was changed only the day before because of a similar problem. But the game being called off only 20 minutes before throw-in time caused a major inconvenience not only for the teams — Mayo had been going through their warm up on the second pitch in Ballyhaunis when it was called off — but to the supporters who had paid in to the ground. Mayo will now get their season underway on Saturday night in McHale Park when they host GMIT under lights in what will be a test run for the county ground ahead of their National League division one opener with Down on February 5 in the same venue. No Mayo starting team has been announced for the game at the time of going to print, but it would be expected to be along the same lines as the one picked for the Leitrim game. However there was one planned change before the game was called off last Sunday, with Castlebar Mitchels’ defender Richie Feeney out of the side after he picked up a foot injury the day before the game. GMIT will have Mayo representation with former Mayo midfielder Pat Fallon in charge of the team and a number of players from Mayo clubs battling for inclusion in his side. Mayo’s game against Leitrim has been refixed by the Connacht Council for January 30 in the original venue in Ballinanmore. The re-fixed game will give Mayo manager James Horan one last chance to run the rule over his side before the opening of their National League opener with Down the next Saturday.