Mayo suffer heavy defeat against classy Kildare

Clear pre-match favourites Kildare lived up to their billing with a facile 5-26 to 0-11 victory over Mayo in the first outing for both teams in the Christy Ring Cup this afternoon.

The visitors to James Stephens Park, Ballina, let loose after half-time, scoring 5-13 to just three points in reply to run out comprehensive winners by the full-time whistle.

It was a far more competitive affair in the first half as Mayo, boosted by the availability of Joseph Mooney and Joe McManus, gave as good as they got for large periods.

Mooney and McManus both got on the scoreboard, while Shane Boland and Keith Higgins knocked over a number of frees between them, and but for some wayward shooting Mayo would have been closer than 0-8 to 0-13 behind their opponents at the break.

Disaster struck with just half a minute of the second half played, however, as Kildare's Paul Divilly launched an unstoppable shot to the net minded by Bobby Douglas.

Suddenly the five-point gap was stretched to eight, and from there on out Kildare were relentless.

Four more goals were added by Mark Delaney, Cathal Dowling, Brian Byrne and Jack Sheridan, and the points flowed too, mainly from the imperious James Burke, the towering centre half-forward who seemed able to dissect the posts from any distance.

Mayo, who struggled to get forward for large parts of the second half, tacked on frees by Boland (two) and Higgins, but they rarely threatened the Kildare stopper, Paddy McKenna.

On this showing, Kildare will be fancied to go all the way in the Christy Ring Cup this year – and indeed their aim will be to return to the Joe McDonagh Cup at the first time of asking following relegation last year.

The solace for Mayo – Nicky Rackard Cup champions last year, remember – is that they're unlikely to meet too many teams of the calibre of Kildare from here on out. Up next is a meeting with Wicklow next Saturday, where they can get their campaign back on track.

Mayo: Bobby Douglas; Stephen Coyne, Daniel Hill, Paul Kirwin; Gary Nolan, Joseph Mooney (0-1), David Kenny; Daniel Huane, Sean Kenny; Eoin Delaney, Mark Phillips, Adrian Phillips; Shane Boland (0-5), Joe McManus (0-2), Keith Higgins (0-3).

Subs used: Kenny Feeney, Patrick Lyons, Kealan Gallagher, Aaron Ketterick, Darren Murray.

Kildare: Paddy McKenna; Niall Ó Muineacháin, Simon Leacy, Cathal Dervan; Sean Christiansen, Rian Boran (0-1), Kevin Whelan; Jack Travers, Paul Divilly (1-3); Brian Byrne (1-2), James Burke (0-9), Jack Sheridan (1-4); Cathal McCabe (0-1), Shane Ryan (0-3), Cathal Dowling (1-3).

Subs used: Mark Delaney (1-0), Tom Finnerty, Paul Dolan, Cian Bracken.