National Football League Division One: Mayo 0-15 Roscommon 0-9
MAYO staked their claim for a top two spot in Division One while Roscommon are facing a relegation battle following Saturday night’s scrappy clash in Castlebar.
Played in soaking conditions at MacHale Park, Kevin McStay’s men recovered from their recent defeats to Kerry and Tyrone with a dominant second-half display after a first period that failed to live up to the expectations of a near 10,000 strong crowd.
Mayo had led by a single point at the break, but they hit the ground running in the second-half. Ryan O’Donoghue (3), Enda Hession and Donnacha McHugh (2) were among the scorers as the reigning league champions surged eight clear before Conor Cox stopped the rot for visiting Roscommon on 56 minutes.
There have been plenty of compelling Connacht derbies between these two sides over the years, but this wasn’t one of them. Although Diarmuid Murtagh’s free reduced the gap to six, the hosts saw out the win with a bit to spare thanks to points from O’Donoghue and the veteran Cillian O’Connor in the closing stages.
Next up for Mayo is a St Patrick’s weekend showdown with top of the table Derry, again in Castlebar, while the Rossies will welcome Kerry to Dr Hyde Park.