Rochford era begins with a win
THE Stephen Rochford era of Mayo football began with a two point win over the students of NUI Galway in Elvery’s MacHale Park earlier today (Sunday).
It was by no means a vintage Mayo performance, but being the first week of January it is unlikely the new management team will lose much sleep over that fact.
An unanswered 1-5 in the middle of the second-half, which saw Kevin McLoughlin intercept a ball out of the NUIG defence and crash it to the net, was the catalyst for the Mayo victory.
But it still took two late frees from Conor Loftus and Robbie Hennelly to see the county side over the line against the students.
Despite falling three points behind early in the first-half and two points early in the second period, there was a battling quality in the Mayo team which gave the near 3,000 spectators in attendance a small glimpse as to what they can expect from this team going forward.
It was the old guard who stood up for Mayo today with Colm Boyle, Tom Parsons and McLoughlin impressing, but Conor Loftus, Padraig O’Hora and Shane Nally can certainly look forward to being given further chances to impress this month at least.
Mayo: R. Hennelly (0-1f), B. Harrison, K. Keane, P. O’Hora, C. Boyle(0-1), S. McHale, S. Nally, J. Gibbons, T. Parsons, K. McLoughlin (1-4, 4f), M. Ronaldson(0-1), D. McHale(0-1), K. Ruttledge, J. Doherty(0-1), C. Loftus (0-3,2f)
Subs: M. Sweeney for Ruttledge (41), K. Higgins for S. McHale(51), C. Crowe for Gibbons(54), G. Cafferkey for O’Hora(57)
NUIG: D. O’Sullivan, K. McDonnell, D. Cunnane, D. Murray, J. McManus, L. Cullen, A. Nolan, C. O’Shea(0-1), P. Cooke(0-2,1f), E. O’Donoghue, M. Daly(0-1), A. Gallagher(1-4,1-0 pen,2f), K. Finn, O. Finnerty(0-1), C. Davey(0-1)
Subs: S. Moran for O’Donoghue(20), E. Boland for Nolan(41), E. Lavin (Mayo) for Gallagher(54), A. McCormack for O’Shea(59)