Mayo team for New York test is named

THE Mayo team for the Connaught championship campaign opener against New York in Gaelic Park on Sunday has been named.

The team shows two changes from that which started the league final against Kerry, with James McCormack and Evan Regan coming into the fray at the expense of Donal Vaughan and Diarmuid O'Connor respectively.

O'Connor, the team captain, misses out due an injury picked up in training. Patrick Durcan captains the team in his absence.

McCormack, meanwhile, is one of three championship debutants alongside Matthew Ruane and James Carr, although all three were involved throughout a National Football League campaign that earned the county a national title for the first time since 2001. A provincial title has eluded Mayo since 2015, however.

The winners of Sunday's game in the Big Apple, which throws in at 2.15 p.m. local time, will play either Roscommon or Leitrim in the Connaught semi-final on May 25.

The starting team in full is: Robert Hennelly (Breaffy); Chris Barrett (Belmullet), Brendan Harrison (Aghamore), Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis); Patrick Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels), Lee Keegan (Westport), James McCormack (Claremorris); Matthew Ruane (Breaffy), Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy); Evan Regan (Ballina Stephenites), Jason Doherty (Burrishoole), Fergal Boland (Aghamore); Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore), Darren Coen (Hollymount/Carramore), James Carr (Ardagh).