Hollymount-Carramore the big winners in round one

Sun, May 15, 2016

The sun shone across the county all weekend and while the thoughts of many would have been about 99’s and lounging on the beaches from Keem to Old Head, but for the club footballers around Mayo this wasn’t a weekend for soaking up the sun.

Rochford in no rush to fast track U21s

Fri, May 13, 2016

Mayo manager Stephen Rochford said this week that he is in no rush to fast-track through a large group of Michael Solan's All Ireland U21 winning side into the senior set up. Brian Reape has been brought in to the senior championship squad recently alongside four others, Diarmuid O'Connor, Stephen Coen, Michael Hall, and Conor Loftus, who have all been with the senior set up previously.

Senior club championship to open with a bang

Fri, May 13, 2016

Group 1
Breaffy v Garrymore

Gardiner still relishing the challenge

Fri, May 13, 2016

He has been there and done it all with Crossmolina Deel Rovers over the years, but former Mayo player Peadar Gardiner is still doing his bit for his club. On Saturday evening, Crossmolina Deel Rovers once the standard bearers for club football in the county, will be looking to take a notch off a Castlebar Mitchels side who have taken up that mantle in recent years.

Super League set for super weekend

Fri, May 13, 2016

Castlebar Celtic v Manulla
Saturday, May 14

Changes are needed or the 'also rans' may stop running

Fri, May 13, 2016

We are extremely fortunate to have two really healthy and fit six-year-old twin boys, Oisín agus Fiach. Probably as a result of having more of his mother’s DNA –  I was no greyhound - Fiach is currently a good bit faster at running than his older brother – seven minutes is a lot of time when you are a twin looking for bragging rights. Fiach's nickname with some of his friends at school is “Speedy McGee”. I have no idea why either.

Westport hit Claremorris for seven

Fri, May 13, 2016

It was raining goals in the Elverys Sports Super league this weekend as Westport Utd dished out a comprehensive 7-0 defeat to Claremorris on Sunday afternoon in Concannon Park. The star of the show was most definitely Mark McNally who bagged five goals in a stunning display. Phil Keegan and Peter Corcoran also chipped in for the Covies, as they put the south Mayo men to the sword. Elsewhere, Castlebar Celtic romped home to a comfortable 5-0 win away to Conn Rangers. Conor Griffin grabbed a hat-trick, along with goals from Anthony Johnston and a Colm Nevin free-kick.

Manulla continued their rich vein of form of late with a hard-fought 2-0 win against Glenhest Rovers in Carramore. Considering that they went down to 10 men after Gerry Canavan received his marching orders, made it all the more remarkable. Anthony Elding opened Manulla’s account, with Dylan Roache making the three points safe. On Saturday night Ballina Town recorded a 2-0 win over Ballyglass thanks to a brace from man of the match Dylan McKee. 

Rebels put down Mayo challenge in the capital

Sat, May 07, 2016

Mayo will have learned a lot from their league campaign this year, but the one lesson they will take away from Parnell Park on Saturday night is that if you don’t take the chances that come your way against a team like Cork, you’re not going to be going home with the silverware.

Rochford made his first big statement

Sat, May 07, 2016

Stephen Rochford made his first big statement as Mayo manager wielding the axe and cutting nine players from his panel. Michael Conroy being the most high profile of these. Mickey C as he is effectively known gave a great service to the Mayo jersey but has been blighted by injury of late. His last major contribution for Mayo was scoring four points against Kerry in last year's National league game in Killarney after coming on for the injured Evan Regan, Conroy also picked up an injury up the same day.

Ladies look to level Leesiders

Fri, May 06, 2016

Ladies Football: National League Final

A Mayo Day to remember

Fri, May 06, 2016

Who is ever going to forget Mayo Day 2016? Not one Mayo GAA fan that's for sure after the heroics of our U21 team in reaching the promised land and claiming the county's fifth All-Ireland title at this level. Was I confident before throw in? Not really, we knew Brian Reape was out and I heard on the grapevine that fullback Seamus Cuniffe was very doubtful because of a hamstring, and that our most influential player Diarmuid O'Connor might not be able to give his all because of a fractured finger sustained against Dublin in the semi-final. We couldn't possibly win with three key players missing or not at 100 per cent was my gut instinct. I was relieved to see Cuniffee and O'Connor taking their positions for the throw in. The buzz in Cusack Park was surreal, Mayo fans making up at least 7,000 of the almost 8,000 crowd.

It is not often you leave a game, a final that Mayo have played in, that you cannot remember the sequence of, or else mix up the goals scored by a team in green and red, this was very much the case last Saturday, after all they did score five, all beautiful and crucial in their own right. Mayo were under the cosh in the first half and were struggling badly kicking some horrible wides. Deja vu all over again we thought, I could only imagine the opinions from around the country, they are at it again, bottling it for a final. Cork were 0-07 to 0-04 to the good five minutes before the interval despite playing against a fairly stiff breeze, Matthew Ruane's lung busting run from deep and his fine score the highlight for Mayo from those first 25 minutes or so. I have no doubt Michael Solan's planned half time team talk was all about trying to get back in the game and to stop squandering chances created, while also trying to curb the threat of Cork's full forward giants Peter Kelleher and Brian Coakley, but not he or anyone could have envisaged what was to happen next. Shaorize Akram ran at the Cork defence but a high solo meant he was robbed by Ryan Harkin of Cork, Akram did very well to shoulder Harkin over the end line to retrieve possession, instead of picking the ball up Akram toe poked the ball to Liam Irwin who thought he would have a piece of that and slid the ball to Michael Plunkett. Plunkett's deft chip up back to Irwin opened the Cork defence, Irwin returned the pass to Plunkett who fired a perfect hand pass across the Cork goal for Diarmuid O'Connor to palm to the net. It was an unbelievable goal. The control and skill levels of Irwin and Plunket would not go amiss on Soccer Saturday’s show boating segment. The second goal arrived with 34 minutes gone on the clock, again Plunkett was instrumental in the build up after cutting through the Cork defence he laid the ball off to Conor Loftus who lost control, Fionan Duffy picked up the scraps and again took a bad touch before palming the ball to Plunket who hand passed to Liam Irwin, the bear on the square did a 360 degree turn before rifling his shot past a helpless Cork defence. Duffy's bravery cannot be overemphasised in the build up, he took a right clatter for his troubles. Instead of going in three points down, Mayo found themselves four to the good, it was complete shock and awe, Cork were rattled and the Mayo team raced off the field to rapturous applause.

Mighty Mayo make it a Mayo Day to remember

Sun, May 01, 2016

With six minutes left on the clock in Cusack Park in Ennis, it looked like it might finally go wrong for this marvellous Mayo team when Brian Coakley kicked his fifth point of the day to draw Cork level with Mayo with the score 3-7 to 1-13. Cork were coming and the momentum was with them at this stage. Peter Kelleher was causing havoc inside the Mayo defensive line and the legs seemed to be going in some of those in green and red.

E-paper

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