Rugby: Pro 12 Connacht's victory celebrations cut short as Ulster test looms

Fri, Apr 01, 2016

What a week for Connacht Rugby. Top of the league with four Pro 12 games remaining, Connacht have had precious little time to celebrate a momentous victory over Leinster as they head to Belfast to face Ulster this evening.

Soccer: Mayo League Big kick-off this weekend in the Super League

Fri, Apr 01, 2016

The Mayo Super League kicks off on Saturday evening when Ballyglass and Manulla clash in a tasty derby encounter and Iorras Aointaithe host Castlebar Celtic in Carnenash. On Sunday Ballyheane will welcome Conn Rangers to Quigley Park, while Super League new boys Glenhest Rovers have a tough welcome to the top tier when they travel to the Sportspark to take on defending champions Westport United.

GAA: Connacht u21 Football Championship Final Mayo looking to end seven year wait

Fri, Apr 01, 2016

The weekend after the nation celebrated the 1916 Rising, Mayo are looking to stage their own rising in the U21 ranks and will head to the ground named after Countess Markievicz in Sligo tomorrow evening to do so. It has been seven years since Mayo last claimed the JJ Fahy Cup, in the same venue, beating Sligo 3-14 to 1-8 in the provincial decider.

O’Shea eyeing next victory after battle in the Hyde

Fri, Apr 01, 2016

The conditions when Mayo ground out their win over Roscommon last Sunday were far removed from the firm sod and warm days of summer they are used to for playing their best football, but for Aidan O'Shea it was just about winning the game and getting things moving on the right track. Speaking after the contest the mud coated Breaffy man said: "I'd say it wasn't the greatest spectacle in the world, we were just slipping and sliding we didn't know where the ball was going to land when it was coming towards you, you never knew if you were going to slip or not. It was difficult, I'd say both teams were leaking towards the end. It was a tough, tough game."

Getting the win over a Roscommon side that has become the story of this year's league was a big one for Mayo, but O'Shea thinks that it's all the better for Connacht football that Roscommon have put their necks above the parapet and started to mix it with the big boys on a more regular basis. "Look [there has been] a lot of talk about Roscommon, they've been very, very, good during the league, but it's very good for Connacht football they've been doing well in the league. I've been saying it for the past couple of years they are a good side and now everybody knows that, and we've done a good job here today and put a performance in, but we've to go and get a result next week and make sure we stay up and that'll be a great end to the league for us."

Parsons proud to lead Mayo victory

Fri, Apr 01, 2016

Seven years ago, Tom Parsons was the last Mayo man to lift the JJ Fahy Cup when he captained Mayo to win the Connacht U21 title against Sligo. It has been a rollercoaster few years in between for the Charlestown man, and last Sunday he captained Mayo once more, this time for the first time he led out the senior side for their win against Roscommon in Hyde Park. "For me that's something magic, you know, I mean three years ago I was up in Croke Park on Hill 16 looking down at the boys as a supporter, it's something magic to captain this team any day. It's the first time that I got to captain the Mayo senior team in any competition and to come up here and get a win, it was a big one for us."

Hard work and graft get Mayo over the line

Fri, Apr 01, 2016

I have no doubt Stephen Rochford slept soundly last Sunday night after his team finally put 70 minutes together that all his hard work merited. This was a big game which attracted all the national media, Roscommon against Mayo in the 2016 national league was the main event on the GAA calender. It’s a long time since that was said about two Connacht counties going head to head in a league game, the last time probably the 2001 league final between Mayo and Galway.

All on the line for Mayo on Sunday

Fri, Apr 01, 2016

Sunday will be the last time the public get to see Mayo in action on their home patch until June 18 at the earliest, when their Connacht semi-final against Galway is scheduled to take place, providing of course that Mayo get over London in Ruislip at the tail end of May. The last time a new Mayo manager faced into a game against London on their own patch it nearly derailed the James Horan project before it even got going.

Mayo back to winning ways after Hyde Park showdown

Sun, Mar 27, 2016

A piece of individual brilliance by two minutes into the second half by Evan Regan kickstarted Mayo’s drive towards their second league win of the season. Regan was picked out by Tom Parsons in the right hand corner of the pitch, the Ballina sharpshooter looked to be in trouble on more than one occasion, but he managed to create enough space for himself to beat two men and fire the ball low past Geoffrey Claffey and put Mayo into a six point lead.

Rochford happy to pick up second win

Sun, Mar 27, 2016

It was a must win game for Mayo and Stephen Rochford was a contented figure not long after the final whistle was blown in Hyde Park on Sunday afternoon. Rochford’s Mayo side had just seen off Roscommon with an impressive display and he was also able to welcome back to action one very key man whose form will be a big factor in Mayo’s chances of success this summer.

Mayo team for Roscommon clashed named

Sat, Mar 26, 2016

Mayo manager Stephen Rochford named his starting 15 for Sunday’s league showdown with Roscommon on Sunday afternoon on Friday night. The team named from one to 15 shows three changes from the side that started against Kerry a fortnight ago with Chris Barrett, Evan Regan and Conor Loftus coming into the side with Donal Vaughan, Kevin McLoughlin and Cathal Carolan making way.

Mayo entering must win territory this Sunday

Fri, Mar 25, 2016

Over the past few years, Mayo haven’t really faced a must-win game until summer had really kicked in and summer holidays were in full swing. But this Sunday in the middle of the Easter break, Mayo are staring down the barrel of a must-win game of football or Division Two next year is becoming a very real possability.

It's time for Mayo to stand up and be counted

Fri, Mar 25, 2016

In any other league campaign Roscommon defeating Mayo wouldn't bother me. We could use the usual excuses like Mayo were tired after a long campaign last season, Mayo tried out new tactics and tried to blood players while trying others in different positions. We could all tell ourselves that the game was Roscommon's All- Ireland, why wouldn't they be up for it?

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