Allianz National Football League Division 1B Match Report

Mayo 1-17
Derry 1-7
At Fr O’Hara Park last Sunday Derry came to play Mayo in the NFL. Derry, who were expected to field a strong team for this crunch tie, arrived with a team of inexperienced newcomers and to top it all they had only 16 players who were prepared to play! Looking on these facts from last Sunday’s game it is hard to believe that they are the present holders of this Competition.
Derry were well and truly punished for their poor attention to this match! By the 30th minute of the match Mayo had scored 1-9 with out reply, and at this stage you could safely say Mayo had won the match. Although it is true that Mayo’s opposition were poor, Mayo did deal with them impressively. Mayo’s back line was very good once again with Ray Connelly, Noel Connelly, Kevin Cahill and Fergal Costello showing well, and they were very disciplined, giving away minimal free-kicks.
Colm McManaman and David Brady continue to impress, Brady especially as he had played 80 minutes with Ballina in the All Ireland Rugby League 24 hours earlier. Mayo’s forwards were the most impressive on Sunday with Marty McNicholas, James Gill and David Nestor all having a good game. Mayo’s work rate in the forwards was excellent with the forwards notching up 1-8 among them.
Mayo began the match well with a scatter of points in the first 15 minutes from Com McManaman, Ronan Loftus(free), David Nester, Trevor Mortimer and Marty McNicholas and the impressive thing was they were all good scores. Then came David Nester’s impressive goal with the help of Trevor Mortimer, Fergal Costello and Marty McNicholas. Ronan Loftus(free), Substitute Stephen Carolan, Marty McNicholas and James Gill added the other scores. It wasn’t until the 33rd minute that Derry replied to Mayo with a Paddy Bradley free-kick and a Paul Murphy point on the run. That rounded up the first-half and left the score at 1-11 to 0-2, leaving the gap at 12 points.
In the second half Mayo were not as focused at times and Derry took advantage with Conleth Gilligan notching up a number of scores to narrow the gap slightly, but Mayo woke up and David Brady and David McDonagh scored points in response and David Nestor and Marty McNicholas added 2 more scores.
The last Quarter saw the crowd of 2000 spectators begin to leave and the gang that hung around were as well to have gone too. Derry’s Ronan Rocks beat Mayo Goalkeeper Fergal Kelly and Derry followed that with a few more points but it was all too late. Micheal Coleman rounded it up for Mayo with a very impressive score. One bad thing that came out of the match was Ray Connelly’s leg injury.
Mayo:
F. Kelly, R. Connelly, K Cahill, A. Higgins, F. Costello, A. Roche, N. Connelly, C. McManaman (0-1), D Brady (0-1), M. McNicholas (0-3), D McDonagh (0-1), J. Gill (0-2), R. Loftus (0-3f’s), T. Mortimer (0-1), D. Nestor (1-3).
Subs:
S. Carolan (0-1) for Mortimer (inj), M. Sheridan for Loftus, M. Coleman (0-1) for Brady, R. Hannick for R. Connelly (inj)

Back to top

My View

New to the Ruddy Report, "My View" is a section for comment and opinion – controversial and otherwise. I will give you my opinion on the pressing issues of the day and you can tell me I’m a hero/wrong/stupid/off my trolley or whatever. If you have a question or an opinion on something (in sport) then you can have your say here.

New York
I am going to start this section off with the story that has been in the papers this week about New York GAA holding a Connaught Senior Football Championship match. New York entered the Championship in 1999 when they travelled to Castlebar to play Mayo (Connaught Champions 1999) in the First Round, putting up a good display (not disgracing themselves). Last year New York travelled to Galway (Connaught Champions 2000) to play the First Round and once again they put up a decent display. In the two years New York have travelled across the Atlantic to play the Connaught Champions of that year and if that doesn’t have a bad effect on the team then take into account that their most impressive players did not travel to both these games. My conclusion to this is if London are allowed play their home games in Ruislip I think it’s time a Connaught Senior Football Championship Match was played in Gaelic Park, New York. So what do you think?

Mayo
Would you believe after such a bad run in the Connaught Championship last year that Mayo would respond with a very impressive run in the League. 3 wins out of 3! Fermanagh away, Laois away and Derry at home. Holmes has brought in a few new players into the squad with great effect, the confidence is back in the squad and although the last three games they played have not been very tough Mayo should still feel confident. Sligo, Meath, Cavan and Clare to play and with the confidence built a semi-final place beckons. If I was asked before the NFL started I would not have thought Mayo would have a chance of winning Connaght but look now! Mayo seem to be in with a shout and I think they will give Galway a run for their money. But if Mayo have a good run in the league will it affect their Championship? Look at Derry NFL champions 2000 and Derry then were rubbish in the Championship! So what do you think?

National Football League
The National Football League seems to be on its last legs! Answer me one question: if you were running a business and you weren’t getting a lot of custom what would you do?
A: Up the prices on your goods
B: Lower the prices on your goods
Well the bright sparks up in GAA HQ answered A!
With the NFL not being taking that seriously and Counties putting out their second teams (e.g. Derry last Sunday) not many spectators attend National League matches. So the GAA up the ticket price. I believe its ridiculous. What do you think?

Have your say!!!

So if you have anything to say on these three topics please don’t be shy, your opinions are all welcomed just e-mail me at johnruddy@currane.net and put "MY VIEW" in the Subject area.

Back to top

Currane.net is the community web site for people of Currane, their friends and relatives, and anyone with an interest in the Currane area.
Currane is near Achill Sound, Co Mayo in the west of Ireland and is also known as Corraun or Corrán.