Connacht SF League/Mayo 0-15 Roscommon 0-3:Mayo's interest in the FBD Connacht League may have ended with a game to play - IT Sligo and Galway have already qualified for the final - but this was an important game for John O'Mahony at Ballyhaunis yesterday.
It marked his first win since taking over from Mickey Moran. Significantly, the team which lost to IT Sligo was revamped - seven changes - and there was a lot more hunger in Mayo's play. Roscommon were in the game for the first half but there was really only one team in it in the second.
Mayo led at one stage by eight points having gone behind twice. The first time was when Ger Heneghan fired over the opening score for Roscommon and Mayo also went behind to a Michael Finneran point in the fifth minute.
But two points from play for the entire game and just two more for the remainder of the first half was the story of Roscommon's ills.
David Brady was back in fine form for Mayo and dominated midfield but the surprise package was the moving of Billie Joe Paden to centre back where he gave a commanding performance on a solid half-back line which included Peadar Gardiner and impressive newcomer Gary Mullins.
Up front Mayo had a number of willing apprentices and in Aiden Kilcoyne they had their top gun with six points, two from play, while newcomer Aiden Campbell and Michael Conroy impressed. Kilcoyne nailed three points on the trot from frees to close the first half and give Mayo an 0-7 to 0-4 lead.
Gary Cox had the gap back to two points with a free inside a minute of the restart but Mayo hit the next six points without reply as Michael Conroy (2), Austin O'Malley, Campbell (free), Kilcoyne, and yet another Kilcoyne free pushed them 0-13 to 0-5 clear with 15 minutes remaining.
An excellent free from Heneghan was erased by an O'Malley point while Cox and Heneghan closed with late frees to give a more respectable look to the scoreboard.
Roscommon manager John Maughan said afterwards he was impressed by Mayo. "They looked fairly sharp and I was particularly impressed by the work of Trevor Mortimer. We were missing a few players today and it was a depleted side but a few will be pushing for places. That doesn't take away from Mayo who were well in control," he said.
MAYO: D Clarke; A Higgins, A O'Malley, C Cafferey; G Mullins, BJ Padden, P Gardiner; D Heaney, D Brady (0-1); A Campbell (0-2), T Mortimer (0-1), A Kilcoyne (0-6, three frees, one 45); M Conroy (0-3), M McNicholas, A O'Malley (0-2). Subs: M Mullins for McNicholas, G Brady for Mortimer.
ROSCOMMON: G Claffey; D Donnellan, A McDermott, M Gilford; R Dooner, J Nolan (Western Gaels), J Nolan (Roscommon Gaels); M Finneran (0-1), B Mullins; B Reynolds, G Cox (0-2), J Calleary; E Kenny, G Heneghan (0-6, five frees), S O'Grady. Subs: F Cregg for O'Grady.
Referee: M Duffy (Sligo).
