A star is born as Mayo run riot in Clones

Kobe McDonald announced his arrival to senior football in sensational style by finishing as the top scorer in an emphatic Mayo victory over Monaghan on Sunday.

The Crossmolina 18-year-old was only introduced in the 52nd minute but scored 1-4 from the first four shots of his debut as the Green and Red romped to a 2-30 to 2-11 win at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones.

McDonald even gave the assist for Ryan O’Donoghue to score the very last point of a game that saw Mayo bounce back impressively from their defeat to Donegal seven days previous.

A man-of-the-match display by Bob Tuohy helped lay the platform for this win that saw wind-assisted Mayo kick five first-half two pointers to lead 0-17 to 0-6 at half-time. That was even after O’Donoghue had blazed a 13th minute penalty, awarded for a foul on Mayo’s other attacking teen Darragh Beirne, over the crossbar.

Fergal Boland struck five points before half-time, including a pair of two pointers in the final minute, and while Monaghan improved with the half-time introduction of Jack McCarron, there was never any realistic prospect of a comeback by the Farney County who are now pointless after four rounds of National Football League Division 1.

A McCarron goal in the 44th minute was negated by one from Aidan O’Shea six minutes later before the barely believable cameo from Kobe McDonald that saw him raise four flags in a row from the 56th to 65th minutes – a goal, superbly drilled into the bottom left corner, two singles and a two pointer.

The Mayo support was in raptures and in contrast, there was only feint local applause when sub Robbie Hartnett punched home a second Monaghan goal.

Jordan Flynn and Darragh Beirne joined Boland in hitting five points before full-time.

See Tuesday’s Western People for full coverage.