Mayo manager Moran hails pre-season challenge game as 'great workout'

Following Mayo's victory over Offaly in a pre-season challenge, manager Andy Moran said he was pleased that his players got a match under their belts and was impressed with how the younger players coped, writes Patrick Hennelly.

Moran said: “It was a great workout. What you are trying to do is get the players who will be playing in January match fit and also trying to find a few new players as well."

The new manager name-checked newcomers such as Seamus Howard, Darragh Beirne and Liam Golden, and noted what the likes of the relatively inexperienced Sean Morahan and Diarmuid Duffy can bring to the team.

Mayo were 3-18 to 1-12 winners against Offaly in the challenge at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, with all takings from the encounter going to local charity Mayo Cancer Support Association.

Moran said that as well as the new players on show, it was great to see the likes of Tommy Conroy, James Carr and Michael Plunkett in a Mayo jersey again.

Despite only scoring one two-pointer, a free by Darragh Beirne, Moran believes Mayo are well capable of getting those orange-flagged efforts - a sector of the game in which they struggled last season.

“We went for them (two-pointers), and it is something that we are working on," the manager said. "We need to get to the bottom of our two-point shooting, but we will get there, as the boys are willing to take on those shots, as you saw today. Nobody was giving out to them for missing; it was all about turning around and facing the next kick-out.

“If you take 10 two-point shots and you score five of them, then that is worth 10 single points. You need to get into positions when you are comfortable taking those shots, and I do feel that we have the players to get those two-pointers. We just need to encourage players to take those scores.”

Ahead of the Christmas holidays, Moran can take plenty of positives from the win against Offaly.

“The big positive for me was the game and players getting minutes into their legs. You have seven games in nine weeks over the course of the National League, and you need to have your team fit and healthy heading into those games, and the only way you are going to do that is by playing matches.

“We need to play some of our stalwarts but then also bring in some of the new players as well."

*See this week's print issue of The Connaught Telegraph for more on Sunday's match