Farrell outstanding as Mayo book provincial final spot
Mayo .........................0-23
Roscommon ............ 1-16
CONNACHT HURLING LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL
NEW Mayo joint hurling managers, Brian Finn and Ray Larkin, got off to a flying start when their experimental Mayo 15 got the better of Roscommon in the Connacht hurling league semi-final played in the Air Dome in Bekan last night.
Mayo will now meet the winners of New York and Galway's development squad game (played tonight, Thursday) in the Connacht Hurling League final on Saturday.
Without the Tooreen players who are still been rested after their great exploits in the 2023 club championship where they reached the All-Ireland semi-final before losing narrowly to the Cork and Munster champions, this was a brilliant performance by this Mayo experimental side.
In the end they pointed their way to victory by registering 23 white flags.
While they didn’t many a green flag, they still had four points to spare against Roscommon who finished the game with a tally of 1-16.
The Mayo starting 15 included players from Ballyhaunis, Castlebar Mitchels, Westport, Caiseal Gaels, Claremorris, Ballyvary and Moytura.
While they all played a big part in this win it was the Ballyhaunis players, especially forwards Michael Farrell, Adrian Phillips and Cormac Phillips which were to the fore as they accounted for 18 points of their sides total of 23.
Mayo got off to a flying start. Roscommon’s Paddy Fallon and Mayo’s Cormac Phillips exchanged points from frees in the opening minutes before Mayo hit purple patch where they outscored their opponents by six points to one with Cormac Phillips, Adrian Phillips and Michael Farrell getting two points each to lead by 0-7 to 0-2 after 13 minutes.
Mayo continued to drive forward and extended their lead after Farrell, Adrian Phillips and a magnificent long-ranged point from Eoghan Collins.
However, Roscommon came a lot more into the game in the latter stages of the half where they outscored Mayo by 1-4 to 0-3.
Their crucial goal arrived in the 33rd minute when Cormac Mulry gave Mayo goalkeeper Davog Freyne no chance with his rasping shot.
This goal brought Roscommon really back into contention as they went in for the interval break just three points down, 0-13 to 1-7.
On the resumption both sides exchanged points on two occasions before hit another purple patch where they scored three unanswered points from Cormac Phillips, Diarmuid Phillips and Farrell to extend their lead back out to six.
With the game now in the final quarter it was looking good for Mayo.
However, Roscommon were not giving up and with Mickey Joe Egan on fire from frees (scored five in the closing stages), Mayo’s lead was just one point as the game entered injury time.
But just when it looked as if Roscommon might get back on level terms, Mayo upped the ante again and points from Evan and John Heraty and Michael Farrell’s (his tenth of the night), Larkin and Finn’s charges finished with a deserved four-point victory.
Mayo: D. Freyne, L. Connor, D. Hill, C. Murray, M. Connor, E. Collins (0-1), S. Crinnigan, J. Heraty (0-2), A. Phillips (0-4), J. Burke, C. Phillips (0-4), S. Mulroy, M. Farrell (0-10), K. Gallagher, B. Sheridan.
Subs used: D. Phillips (0-1), E. Heraty (0-1), C. Treacy, R. Treacy, R. Fallon, A. McGing.
Roscommon: E. Lawless, M. Ward, J. Dillon, T. Fleming, S. Canning (0-1), J. Hoey, J. Dowling, M. J. Egan (0-7), D. Finn, F. Killion, A. Donnelly, P. Fallon (0-7), C. Geraghty, L. Óg Coyle, C. Mulry (1-0).
Subs used: R. Fallon (0-1), D. Leonard, C. Dowd, J. Naughton, B. Mulry, C. Crehan.
Referee: D. Earls (Galway).