Search Results for 'Pete Finnerty'

It was a very strange league campaign for Mayo in division 2B of the national hurling league. They were unbeaten against the top two teams in the division yet only managed to finish in fourth place in the table out of six teams. The league campaign was bookended by impressive wins over bottom of the table Roscommon and eventual table toppers Kildare at the very end of the league stages. Both those wins of course did feature the talents of Keith Higgins who, as has become the norm in recent years, is balancing life as an inter-county footballer for one of the top sides in the country, and as the captain and leader of an inter-county hurling team a nice bit down the food chain when it comes to the small ball game. In between those two wins, Mayo held a fancied Meath side to a draw in Castlebar, before being beaten on the road by Armagh and overseas by London.

Major changes in the local hurling championship are being advocated by the Galway hurling review group whose stated objective is to “improve the standard of club and inter-county hurling in Galway”.

This evening’s meeting of Mayo and NUIG in McHale Park in the home final of the FBD League will bring together two of the men who put their name in the hat for the Mayo manager’s job last year. James Horan was the choice at the end of the search to fill the spot left vacant by John O’Mahony, but John Maughan who is now over the students was right in the running until he decided to withdraw from the race not long before the finish.

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.

Following on from last weekend’s win over Cavan in a challenge game in Belmullet, Mayo saw off Westmeath in Tarmonbarry on Tuesday night by 1-13 to 0-11 as their build up to the championship continues at pace. That build up will continue tonight when Dublin head to south Mayo, Hollymount to be precise, where the sides will lock horns with John O’Mahnony’s Mayo in another challenge game with throw in down for 7.30pm.

Mayo 1-12

The Mayo management team of Martin Brennan and Pete Finnerty have made four changes to their side from the one which lined up against Kerry last weekend in their opening National Hurling League game to the side who will face Armagh in Crossmaglen tomorrow. Into the side come Shane Morley after a recent hamstring problem, Kenny Robinson who scored a goal after coming on against Kerry gets the nod at number 15. Sean Markham will make his debut in the half back line while Brian Moran who fired over four points after he came on against Kerry will come into the half forward line. Keith Higgins who will also be on duty with the Mayo football team on Sunday drops to the bench for Saturday’s game.

A fortnight ago Mayo made their way across the country to open their account in the National Hurling League for the year only for it to be called off because of the weather; they must make that same long trip again this weekend. Tomorrow (Saturday, March 6) Martin Brennan and Pete Finnerty will be hoping that their side will be able to put their first points up on the board in the match against Armagh, after they failed to overthrow the Kingdom in McHale Park last Sunday.

Kerry 1-18

It was a long way to go last weekend to find out there was no game to play. But that is what happened to the Mayo senior hurling team as they attempted to open their National Hurling League division three challenge for 2010. “I’m disappointed of course, we were looking forward to a good challenge in our opening game so we could hit the ground running for this weekend’s match, but it wasn’t to be I guess,” said Martin Brennan, who is back on board with Pete Finnerty as Mayo’s management team for 2010. Last weekend’s game against Armagh has now been pencilled for Saturday March 6 at 2.30pm in Crossmaglen. But Mayo will not be travelling up the night before this time according to Brennan. “We’ll be going up and down the next time on the day, we travelled up the night before the last time because we had a number of new faces in the side and we wanted to use it as a bonding exercise for them with some of the older lads.”