MAYO MUCH TOO GOOD

Mayo  2-11

Monaghan 0-07

By COLM SHALVEY

MONAGHAN fell to a heavy defeat away to Mayo in the U-21 Hastings Cup last Saturday.

Monaghan had their fair share of possession throughout, including when playing into a strong breeze in the first half, but a much more clinical Mayo team found the net twice in two minutes at the start of the second quarter to open up a decisive gap. Having managed just one point against the wind, there was no way back for Monaghan, whose 12 wides included three decent goal chances.

An impressive Mayo half-back line of Cian Burke, Stephen Coen and Seán Regan, along with midfielders Val Roughneen and Matthew Ruane, gave Mayo the platform from which Adam Gallagher, James Durcan and goal-scorers TJ Byrne and Liam Quinn sent them on their way to a second convincing win. Dónal Meegan and Fearghal McMahon were the only two Monaghan starters to get on the scoresheet, while Fergal Malone also worked hard in a team showing eight changes from the defeat of Wicklow.

Mayo started brightly with a point from play by TJ Byrne in the third minute, quickly followed by a 30-metre free from James Durcan, after a foul on Matthew Ruane. Fearghal McMahon got Monaghan off the mark from a 25-metre free after a foul on Shaun Buckley, but when they lost possession cheaply on eight minutes, a Mayo counter-attack led by Durcan ended …