Mayo advance to final thanks to Ronaldson show

FBD League

Mayo 1-9

Roscommon 0-8

Mayo picked up their second win in the FBD league and with it booked their place in the competitions final against Galway at the end of the month. With next weekend’s opening national league game against Galway in McHale Park a far more pressing concern than the FBD league, John O’Mahony shook things up a little bit again for the third game in a row. In came Seamus O’Shea and Enda Varley who had previously been in McGrath Cup action for University of Limerick, and Ger Cafferkey came back in at full back after injury in place of Alan Feeney who had deputised for him in the opening two games. Keith Higgins was also pushed into a more forward role in the half back line rather than being shackled in the corner.

With O’Shea the elder coming in Ronan McGarrity was relegated to the bench at the start, and Varley who has consistently impressed for the UL side over the past number of years getting the nod, Castlebar’s Neil Douglas also dropped down to the ranks of the reserves. One man who O’Mahony will not be able to do without in the league and probably into the championship if he keeps up his current form is Shrule Glencorrib’s Mark Ronaldson, and yesterday he kept up his good performance standards kicking 1-6 of Mayo’s total of 1-9, the other points coming from Andy Moran from a free, Trevor Mortimer, and a point from Seamus O’Shea which opened Mayo’s account in the first half. Ronaldson’s goal came from the penalty spot early in the second half after Enda Varley was fouled after he collected a knock down from Aidan O’Shea. Ronaldson’s goal put Mayo back into the lead after Roscommon had gone a point clear early in the second half thanks to two quick scores. The win now puts Mayo into a FBD League final against Galway at the end of the month, but all eyes are now firmly fixed on McHale Park next Sunday and the more serious test of the Tribesman in the National League.

Mayo: D Clarke; L O'Malley, G Cafferkey, D Vaughan; P Gardiner, T Howley, K Higgins; S O'Shea (0-1 ), T Parsons; A Moran (0-1,1f ), B Kelly, T Mortimer (0-1 ); E Varley, A O'Shea, M Ronaldson (1-6,0-5f, 1 pen ). Subs: R McGarrity, S Nally, N Douglas.

Roscommon: G Claffey; S McDermott, M Killelea, S Ormsby; N Carty, I Kilbride (0-1 ), J Rogers (0-2,2f ); M O'Carroll, M Finneran; S Purcell, C McHugh, B Higgins; T Kelly, E Kenny, G Heneghan (0-3,2f ). Subs: K Higgins, G Cox (0-2,1f ), P Freeman.

Ref: Michael Duffy (Sligo ).

 

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