Mayo prove too strong for the Underdogs
Mayo proved too strong for the TG4 Underdogs team in their annual challenge against the National League Division 1 champions, winning by 3-11 to 0-8 at Elverys MacHale Park, Castlebar, yesterday evening.
The 2019 Underdogs visited Mayo last night to take on an experimental home team, with only Stephen Coen, James McCormack, Matthew Ruane, Fionn McDonagh and Brian Reape having lined out for their county at senior level in the past.
However, a number of the newer players such as James Stretton, Claremorris, Oisin Mullin, Kilmaine, Gary Boylan, Belmullet, and Paul Towey, Charlestown, will certainly be getting more chances to stake a claim for a place on the Mayo senior panel for the 2020 season juding by their performances yesterday evening.
Mayo started brightly and continued to dominate for much of the opening half. They scored two goals in the opening quarter, the first from Fionn McDonagh after he was he was set up by Paul Towey, while Gary Boylan, who was Mayo's top scorer on the night with 1-5, got the second goal after good work by Gavin Durcan and Brian Reape.
This helped give the 2019 National League Division 1 champions a 2-5 to 0-5 lead at the break.
Mayo manager James Horan made a number of changes for the second half. Indeed, long before the game was finished he had used all 11 substitutes.
There was no let up by Mayo in the second half and when Brian Reape scored a third goal in the 36th minute, it more or less ended the game as a contest. In the end Mayo ran out the easy winners by 12 points on a 3-11 to 0-8 scoreline.
Mayo: M. Schlingermann, B. Doyle, P. O'Hora, J. Stretton, J. McCormack, S. Coen, O. Mullin, M. Ruane, G. Durcan, F. McDonagh (1-1), D. McHale (0-2), J. Flynn, G. Boylan (1-5), B. Reape (1-0), P. Towey.
Subs used: R. Byrne, J. Irwin, S. Rochford, D. Cannon, C. Slattery, J. Gallagher (0-1), K. Ruttledge (0-1), B. Duffy, O. McLoughlin (0-1), B. McLoud, C. Naylor.
Underdogs: C. Reilly (0-1), A. Hargan, I. Ilunga, M. O'Kane, P. Ó Domhnaill (0-2), J. Conlon, S. Husband, E. O'Sullivan, B. O'Sullivan (0-1), F. O'Leary, A. Hickson, A. Darmody, C. Dineen, C. McKenna A. McKenna (0-2).
Subs used: A. Daly (0-1), S. Gallen (0-1), A. Duffy, F. Owens, S. Mac Giolla Bhrighde, L. Reilly, M. Lyons, W. Kelly, D. O'Hagan, E. Devine, N. Leech, C. Curtis.
Referee: J. Molloy (Galway).