Apologies to my readers!
I would like to extend my apologies to my loyal and dedicated sports readers for my delay in bringing you the latest sports news, due to post Christmas exams I have been very busy studying and have been unable to get the time to fit in both “The Ruddy Report” and my revision. But this week I will make amends by bringing you a bumper packed “Ruddy Report” .
So sit back and enjoy!!!
Ladies National Football League
Monaghan 2-8
Mayo 1-7
Mayo Ladies Football got a well-deserved defeat in Monaghan. The Ulster Champions made it clear to Mayo that they will have to work hard to retain their double this coming year. Mayo did go into the game missing Helena Lohan, Rachael Barrett and Claire Egan due to a variety of reasons. By half time Mayo were trailing the home side by one point. Diane O’Hora clinched a superb goal for the Mayo Ladies, and also contributing to Mayo’s first half points tally were Sabrina Bailey, Cora Staunton and Diana O’ Hora herself.
Cora Staunton brought the sides level midway through the second half with a well taken point. Cora Staunton and Diana O’Hora’s scoring threat wasn’t enough to keep up with Monaghan; the best efforts from Niamh Lally, Nuala Ni She , Assumpta Bohan, Marcella Heffernan, Sabrina Bailey and Orla Casby were not good enough on the day for Mayo to sneak into the lead.
Monaghan on the other hand netted a second goal, took their point from a penalty kick and scored a late point to wrap things up for the Ulster Champions.
Allianz National Football League Division 1B
Mayo 2-14
Clare 1-9
Mayo went top of Division 1 B after giving Clare a whipping at McHale Park, Castlebar. Apologies to any Clare supporters reading this but a “whipping” is what Clare got!
Clare were playing with no purpose or style, their pattern of football was all over the place. On the other hand Mayo were playing with a bit of style and were moving forward with the ball nearly all the time. The Forwards were exceptional with Maurice Sheridan looking very impressive in his first start in a Mayo shirt since the defeat to Cork in the All Ireland Semi Final in 1999, as were Stephen Carolan and Micheal Moyles.
Carolan played a superb game scoring 1-3, Micheal Moyles who came on as a sub in the first half scored 1-2. Mayo went into the game with a job to do and like any other dedicated worker they had it done by half time. To put it one way Clare’s football was brutal: Pat Spillane would say that it’s Junior Level, but taking no credit away from the defence who also played a great game with Kevin Cahill, Aidan Higgins and Alan Roche dealing with everything superbly. Colm Mcmanamon and David Brady along with Michael Coleman, who was taken off prematurely, had a lot of possession in the middle of the field. The forwards were so spoiled with ball supply that they were leading by 1-7 to 0-5 at half time. Stephen Carolan scored Mayo’s first goal after 4 minutes with a superb finish. Four points from Maurice Sheridan with Trevor Mortimer, James Gill and Micheal Moyles adding the others. Clare snatched scores wherever they could get them basically. Denis Russell tacked on two frees while Ger Quinlan and Ger Keane added a couple more but it was scant consolation.
In the second half Mayo did some extreme damage by getting a goal and 5 points in succession and it left Clare crawling behind. David McDonagh, Micheal Moyles and Stephen Carolan (3) all drilled over points from a variety of angles and distances as the lead was swollen to double figures. Micheal Moyles made up the crowds mind that they had seen enough when he fired in a goal that left Clare shattered and wishing they were on their way home on the N17.
Trailing 2-12 to 0-6 Clare had nothing else to play for but pride. They brought on some subs and started to put some scores on the board. Des Molohan, Ger Keane and Denis Russell all scored points and then midfielder David Russell scored a goal which somehow went under Peter Burke. James Gill and Maurice Sheridan wrapped things up for Mayo with two points. It’s a good job they have dual carriage ways on their way to Clare or it would have been long trip home for the men from the banner county.
Genfitt Connaght Colleges Senior A Football Championship Quarter Final Results
Carrick On Shannon 2-10 St Colmans, Claremorris 0-9
Ballyhaunis Community School 1-7 St Nathys College, Ballaghaderreen 0-8
St Jarlaths College, Tuam 5-15 Balinrobe Community School 0-6
O’Mara Cup Round 1 Results
Mayo Gaels 0-9 Ballinrobe 0-5
Garrymore 2-11 Claremorris 1-7
Hollymount 0-10 Davitts 0-7
Carramore 1-10 Kilmaine 0-6
Allianz National Football League Preview
Sligo vs Mayo
Mayo will travel to Markievicz Park this Sunday to take on Sligo in the Allianz NFL.
Pat Holmes will go head to head with ex-colleagues Peter Ford and T.J Kilgannon, and last weeks win over Sligo in the FBD Connaght League will mean nothing this Sunday. Revenge will be on the cards for it was last year in the same competition that Sligo defeated Mayo, and this gave the Yeats county a boast in morale which no doubt had a part to play in the next meeting between the sides in the Connaght Championship. Both teams are doing quiet well in the League, which will add an edge to this epic encounter. Fergal Costello and Noel Connelly, who missed the Clare match, will both be available for selection. Colm McManaman will be a worry after hurting his ankle in a 50-50 with Eamon O Hara against Clare. Crossmolina have made available four players including James Nallen, Tom Nallen, Peader Gardiner and Micheal Moyles. Kieran McDonald is not expected to play.
Three members of the U-21 squad are expected to feature: James Gill, Martin McNicholas and Trevor Mortimer. These three will be playing on Saturday in the Connaght U-21 Championship opener with Roscommon. Mayo should be strong enough to keep their 100% record. So I Predict a Mayo Win.
Mayo Senior Football Championship Odds
Last week the draw was made for the Mayo Senior Championship and these are some of the odds a bookmaker gave!
Crossmolina 5/2
Ballina 3/1
Castlebar 6/1
Knockmore 6/1
Hollymount 6/1
Swinford 8/1
Kiltane 8/1
Charlestown 8/1
Burrishoole 10/1
West Mayo 12/1
AIB All Ireland Club Football Championship Semi Final
Crossmolina went to Brewster Park in Enniskillen on Sunday last to go one step further than they did last year. A large following headed up from Crossmolina to follow their local Football team as they have all year. Bellaghy, who have got to the Semi Finals by playing some good football, decided to mix it with the Connaght Champions but the boys from Mayo, as ever, were well capable of matching them. Crossmolina refused to let their football suffer and played a nice fair game, although Bellaghy tried their best to vex the men from North Mayo.
Crossmolina controlled the game from the Throw-in and gave Bellaghy a limited number of chances. The first half was more of a physical battle than anything with both teams trying to put their foot down, although the method Bellaghy were using was letting their football suffer. Pat McAndrew finished off a rampage in front of the Bellaghy goal and smashed a loose ball into the back of the net. Beforehand Joe Keane, James Nallen, Peader Gardiner, Johnny Leonard and Micheal Moyles all notched up scores. At half time it was 1-5 to 0-4 in the Deel Rovers Favour. Gavin Diamond scored 3 points for the Derry men and looked capable of scoring more. Things began to get dirty in the second half with Bellaghy putting in vicious challenges, which the ref let go too many times.
Crossmolina stood firm but Gavin Diamond scored two consecutive points for the Derry men. To the delight of the Crossmolina contingent, in stepped Kieran McDonald but after a missed free Kick and a misplaced pass the crowd were having second thoughts. Liam Moffat ended Crossmolina’s goal drought with a well taken point in the 52nd minute. The Kieran McDonald scored his first point to put a bit of a gap between the teams. Tom Nallen, Damien Mulligan and Francis Costello were all kept busy in the backs. Kieran McDonald then confirmed Crossmolina’s place in the Final with a 45-yard kick.
Next are Cork’s Nemo Rangers who beat Castlebar in ’94.
Prediction: If the Deel Rovers don’t do it this year they won’t for a long time to come.
Hastings Cup U-21 Football Final
This is the method which Kevin McStay chose to prepare his team for the Championship which starts next week. Whether his commitment to this method pays off we will have to wait until Saturday next to find out. Mayo U-21’s travelled to Micheal Fay Park in Longford to take on the All- Ireland Champions in the Final of the Hastings Cup. Tyrone fielded a team consisting of a bulk of the members who won National medals last season, plus one Senior, so Mayo knew they had a tough match in front of them. The last time these teams met they drew in a hard fought game in Omagh.
Tyrone took advantage of Mayo’s disastrous start to the game through Eoin Mulligan and Aidan Lynch. Mayo were not winning balls in Midfield, not making space in attack and conceding frees in Midfield. Trevor Mortimer scored Mayo’s only first Quarter score from a free. Tyrone defended well and gave Mayo as little space as possible, which forced Mayo to take their chances, and most of them were wides. Mayo began to work around this obstacle and Breaffy’s Marty McNicholas scored a beauty of a point after 16 minutes and James gill followed up with a long-range effort, which closed the gap to 1 point. But the Tyrone forwards were not lying down and Mulligan stretched the lead with two points from free kicks followed up by Ryan Mellon’s point.
Mayo’s Conor Mortimer responded with 3 points to bring the gap back to minimum. Mayo were trailing 6 points to 7 points at half time. In the second half Mayo tore into the opposition, although Tyrone’s Eoin Mulligan pointed straight away from the throw-in but it did not deter the Mayo men. McNicholas and Trevor Mortimer hit beauties from 30 yards and Trevor’s brother Conor hit two. A Lynch Free Kick for Tyrone slowed things down temporarily but James Gill drove a massive point to leave two between the teams. Lynch added another free for the Tyrone Boys but McNicholas replied to put Mayo even clearer. Tyrone began to respond with Mullin and Lynch (2) all getting scores to put the Ulster men 1 point ahead. James Gill equalised with three minutes left, then Peter Donnelly seemed to have won it for the Ulster men on the stroke of Full Time until Shrule-Glencorrib’s Conor Mortimer sent the tie into extra time with a 35-yard free kick.
Tyrone began the opening half of extra time with three free- Kicks from Stephen O’Neill, but McNicholas and the Mortimer brothers made it 0-18 to 0-17 in Mayo’s favour at the break. O’Neill levelled matters soon after the break for the Tyrone men, Mayo’s defence consisting of Pat Kelly, Alan Moran and M.J. Meneghan began to get to grips with the opposition. Team Captain Ronan Loftus and Micheal Keane gave Mayo the initiative once more, but O’Neill fired home another free kick for Tyrone immediately after. Then Alan Dillion with the help of a short free kick from Loftus secured the Hasting’s Cup for Mayo for the first Time.
Connaght U-21 Football Championship Match Preview
This Saturday Mayo face Roscommon in the Championship opener at Dr Hyde Park, Roscommon. Three changes are made for the Hastings Cup Champions side with M.J. Meenaghan of Tourmakeady, Pat Kelly of Kilmaine and Micheal Keane of Balinrobe coming in, while Ronan Walsh, Enda Casey and Brian Maloney all drop down into the substitutes.
The knowledge of Roscommon’s team is minimal. John Hanley at Centre Half Forward, a Sigerson Cup player with UCD, seems to carry the biggest threat in the forwards for Roscommon. In Midfield they have Seamus O’Neill and Karl Mannion, two strong footballers not noted for their mobility. Stylish Fergal Carroll from Kilmore is captain of the team. Mayo should win this one comfortably.
2nd Round O’Mara Cup Results
The Neale 1-11 Balinrobe 0-9
Claremorris 2-5 Shrule/Glencorrib 1-8
Garrymore 0-17 Kilmaine 0-9
Mayo Gaels 2-14 Hollymount 1-6
SuperMacs Mayo Senior Football Championship Draw
Castlebar Mitchels vs South Mayo
Knockmore vs Ballinrobe
Ballina Stephenites vs Burrishoole
Charlestown vs Crossmolina
Garrymore vs Ballintubber
Moy Davitts vs Swinford
East Mayo vs Hollymount
Byes:
Kiltaine, Mayo Gaels, North Mayo, Davitts and West Mayo
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