Boland guides Mayo to All-Ireland semi-final

HURLING in Mayo is still on a roll following the success of the county senior team in winning the Nicky Rackard Cup and gaining promotion to the Christy Ring Cup next season.

Now the county Under 21 team has defeated Kildare to book a place in the All-Ireland B semi-final, in which they will face Roscommon at Elverys MacHale Park, Castlebar, on Saturday week (August 20).

In the All-Ireland quaterfinal played in Newbridge last Saturday, Mayo emerged with two points to spare over the home side (0-8 to 0-6) in a very low scoring game, the winning points coming from the hurl of Fergal Boland in the closing stages.

The high number of wides from both sides - 29 for the day between them - meant scores were hard come by and it was 0-3 each at the end of the first half. Fergal Boland and Abbi Abbasi had the pick of the Mayo points in that half.

But it was Kildare who hit the front in the second half, their top man, Jack Sheridan, scoring a gem of a point from a sideline cut followed by a fine point from play to edge his side two clear.

However, Shane Kenny produced two terrific long-range points to pull Mayo level as the game turned for home, but Kildare hit back with a lead point which was cancelled out by Seán Kenny.

However, it was the senior player on the team, Fergal Boland, who guided Mayo into the semi-final from a free and from play in the closing stages.

Mayo: M. Parsons, C. Murphy, M. Phillips, O. Haune, D. Harrison, D. Kenny (0-2), C. Murray, B. Peoples, J. Gallagher, F. Boland (0-3, 1f), C. Scahill (0-1), S. Mulroy, S. Forde, A. Abbasi (0-1), J. Coyne. Subs used: Z. O’Toole for Abassi, S. Kenny (0-1) for Forde, C. Gardiner for Harrison.