STEPHEN ROCHFORD SAW his Mayo team pick up their first win of the 2017 campaign today while Galway and Sligo both went on goalscoring sprees in their FBD League victories.
There was also a win in the Connacht pre-season arena for Roscommon while in the Dr McKenna Cup, Cavan and Monaghan are in pole positions in their groups while Down and Armagh face a winner-takes-all clash on Wednesday night.
In Ballina, Mayo saw off IT Sligo by 1-21 to 1-15 on a day when David Clarke captained the All-Ireland finalists and Donal Vaughan was sent-off in the finale.
It was 1-12 to 1-6 in Mayo’s favour at the break with IT Sligo having netted first through Claremorris’s James Shaughnessy, who was fouled himself and then slotted home the penalty.
Mayo respond through a goal from Alan Freeman and they pulled clear in the second half with Freeman, Cian Costello and Fergal Boland amongst their scorers.
Galway pulverised Leitrim by 5-21 to 0-9 in Ballinamore with the first three scores of the game all goals from the Tribesmen as Danny Cummins, Cillian McDaid and Paul Conroy netted inside the first six minutes.
It was 3-14 to 0-5 in Galway’s favour at the interval with further goals in the second-half by McDaid and Sean Armstrong piling on the agony for Leitrim as Kevin Walsh’s side had 27 points to spare at the final whistle.
A hat-trick of goals from Stephen Coen helped Sligo win by a remarkable 39 points against GMIT, 5-24 to 0-1.
Criostoir Davey and Brian Egan also raised green flags for Sligo while Shane Killoran grabbed the only goal of the game as Roscommon dismissed NUI Galway by 1-17 to 0-14.
In the Dr McKenna Cup, a 0-9 haul from Alan Davidson was vital in Down’s 0-15 to 0-14 success over Derry. In the same group, goals from Ethan Rafferty and Anto Duffy helped Armagh defeat Queen’s University, 2-19 to 0-9. Wednesday night’s game between these two sides will determine who tops Group A.
In Group B, Monaghan racked up the scores in a big 2-20 to 0-9 win over Antrim. Colin Walshe and Shane Carey from the penalty spot were their goalscorers. Fermanagh claimed a 2-13 to 0-13 win over St Mary’s elsewhere in the same group.
And finally in Group C, there was another success for new Cavan boss Mattie McGleenan over a youthful Donegal by 2-14 to 1-6. Rory Dunne and Paul O’Connor bagged their goals, Ethan O’Donnell netting in reply for Donegal.
Mickey Harte’s Tyrone ran out deserved winners over UUJ in Carrickmore with goals from Niall McKenna and Ronan McHugh.
FBD League Results
NUI Galway 0-14 Roscommon 1-17
Mayo 1-21 Sligo IT 1-15
Sligo 5-24 GMIT 0-1
Leitrim 0-9 Galway 5-21
Dr McKenna Cup Results
Down 0-15 Derry 0-14
Tyrone 2-17 UUJ 1-7
Donegal 1-6 Cavan 2-14
Fermanagh 2-13 St Mary’s 0-13
Armagh 2-19 Queens University 0-9
Antrim 0-9 Monaghan 2-20
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