Sport

Mayo keep up winning ways

National Football League/Mayo 1-15 Offaly 0-10: Offaly came crashing to earth at McHale Park yesterday as their second-half …

Mon Feb 13 2006 - 00:00

National Football League/Mayo 1-15 Offaly 0-10: Offaly came crashing to earth at McHale Park yesterday as their second-half collapse saw Mayo maintain a winning start to their league campaign.

Despite conceding a goal, Offaly headed Mayo at the break but lost their way in the second half, scoring just two points.

A cracking goal from Pat Casey in the 22nd minute put Mayo three points clear after Offaly had pulled themselves on level terms having gone three behind in the early stages.

A Pat Kelly point, two frees form Alan Dillon and a point from Andy Moran had Mayo coasting in the opening 10 minutes but Offaly had drawn level at 0-4 each after 21 minutes, Thomas Deehan, Ciarán McManus and Leonard Mooney on target.

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Casey's strike after 22 minutes was Mayo's last score of the half as Offaly took control, rattling off four unanswered points from McManus, Deehan, Mooney and Deehan again to give them an interval lead of 1-4 to 0-8.

Once Mayo levelled with a Conor Mortimer free inside a minute of the restart Offaly were squeezed out of it for the remainder of the game.

Mayo had Offaly back-pedalling, and back-to-back points from Andy Moran, followed by another Mortimer free and a fine score from the outstanding Peadar Gardiner saw Mayo pull five clear before Paschal Kellaghan, who was later stretchered off with an injury after a collision of heads, ended the Offaly scoring drought with a point in the 56th minute.

Substitute James Coughlan added Offaly's second and final score deep in injury time.

MAYO: F Ruddy; T Howley, D Heaney, K Higgins; P Kelly (0-1), J Nallen, P Gardiner (0-1); BJ Padden, J Gill; A Dillon (0-4, three frees), G Brady (0-2), A Moran (0-3); C Mortimer (0-4, two frees), A O'Malley, P Casey (1-0). Subs: B Regan for O'Malley (38 mins), B Moran for A Moran (58 mins), R Hannick for Gill (63 mins), A Durkan for Casey (69 mins).

OFFALY: P Kelly; K Lynam S Casey, B Mooney; N Coughlan, S Brady, N Grennan; R Connor, A McNamee; J Reynolds, C McManus (0-2, one 45), L Mooney (0-2); T Deehan (0-3), P Kellaghan (0-1), N McNamee (0-1). Subs: S Ryan for Reynolds, R Guinan for R Connor (both 24 mins), J Coughlan (0-1) for N McNamee, D Lowry for Kellaghan (inj), J Rafferty for Grennan (all 59 mins).

Referee: J White (Donegal).