IT will be fascinating to see how many Mayo footballers who played a part in this enjoyable FBD League work out last Sunday will Air Jordan 10s be involved when push comes to shove in the Connacht championship later this summer.The truth is that nobody, including Mayo’s open minded new manager, James Horan, knows for sure and that it is one of many reasons why a crowd in excess of 2,000 people flocked to for the latest derby match against the Rossies.With 15 changes Jordan Pro Strong from the team that started a week earlier, Mayo supporters weren’t too sure what to expect, especially against Fergal O’Donnell’s unfamiliar selection that was backboned by only five of his Connacht championship winning outfit.In the end, we were pleasantly surprised as an experimental Mayo XV recovered from a slow start and produced an impressive second half display to run out comfortable winners.”Today was all about improvement,” said James Horan afterwards. “It’s all about Jordan Winterized 6 Rings development, another step as we try to get ready for the National League.”The story of a bright and breezy game is uncomplicated; led by three points for much of the first half but the trusty free taking of Mark Ronaldson kept Mayo in touch and the gap was pared back to the minimum by half time.The zippy Shrule/Glencorrib forward then scored a sublime goal three minutes into the second half and Mayo never looked back.They outmuscled ‘s big men around the middle, snaffled up most of the breaking ball, tied down their forwards, and held the vistors scoreless for over 30 minutes.Debutants Jordan Retro 9 like David Killeen, Eoghan Reilly and Andrew Farrell worked hard and did the simple things well while Cathal Freeman, a prodigious minor, was a revelation at centre half forward.Playing his first game for eighteen months after breaking his leg in a club match, Freeman stood out from the crowd. He was comfortable in possession, used the ball smartly, and his quick hands and two footed deliveries set up plenty of opportunities for the Mayo marksmen.Keith Higgins, Trevor Howley, Barry Moran, Enda Varley and the razor sharp Mark Ronaldson were the pick of the ‘veterans’ while Lee Keegan and James Kilcullen put themselves about as you’d expect. Jason Gibbons also caught the eye and nailed a point off the bench.However, it was Mark Ronaldson’s nifty footwork and sniper’s instinct just after half time that proved crucial as he dribbled around goalkeeper, Eamon McGinley, to score the game breaking goal in audacious fashion.The diminuitive inside forward finished with 1 7 (six points from frees) after a hard day’s work as Mayo outscored their tiring visitors by 1 6 to 0 1 during the second half.The visitors had led at the break by 0 7 to 0 6 with Kevin Higgins, Jonathan Dunning and Donie Shine (a couple of frees) all contributing two scores apiece to emphasise ‘s intent.But five points from frees from the aforementioned Ronaldson, and a trademark finish from Enda Varley, kept Mayo in the hunt as spurned a hat trick of goal chances around Kenneth O’Malley’s goal.When Fintan Cregg galloped through to extend the visitors’ lead a minute into the second half, a typically hard fought, close run thing looked in prospect.Instead, buoyed up by the only goal of the Nike LeBron 12 day, Mayo started to win most of the individual battles and, with Cathal Freeman pulling the strings, points from Andrew Farrell, Enda Varley, Jason Gibbons, Aidan Kilcoyne and Mark Ronaldson (two) closed the game out.”I’d be very happy with some aspects of the performance, particularly in the second half,” admitted James Horan. Singling out Cathal Freeman and Ruaidhr O’Connor, he also said: “David Killeen’s performance in the second half was very, very strong. [There were] a lot of things to be happy about.”K O’Malley; K Higgins, D Killeen, E Reilly; T Howley, L Keegan, R O’Connor; J Kilcullen, B Moran; I Rowland, C Freeman, A Farrell (0 1); E Varley (0 2), M Ronaldson (1 7, 6fs), B Benson.
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