Mayo advance to Connacht Hurling League final
Mayo' Adrian Phillips impressed in midfield. Picture: Mayo GAA
An experimental Mayo side held off a late rally from Roscommon to advance to the Connacht Hurling League final yesterday evening.
With the majority of the Tooreen contingent unavailable following their run to the All-Ireland club intermediate semi-final, it gave a chance for new managers Brian Finn and Ray Larkin to give a run out to players from the likes of Moytura, Caiseal Gaels, Castlebar Mitchels, Claremorris, Ballyvary and Westport.
Moytura duo John and Evan Heraty impressed but it was the Ballyhaunis contingent who showed their experience at this level as Ballyhaunis trio Adrian Phillips, Cormac Phillips and Michael Farell put in a tour de force in the middle and final thirds, combining for 0-18.
At the back, Danny Hill and Shane Crinnigan were a solid platform for the Green and Red as Finn an Larkin got off to a winning starts as managers but were made to work hard by a dogged Roscommon team, who also have new management this year in Kevin Sammon.
After Paddy Fallon and Cormac Phillips traded frees early on, Mayo found their range as they scored six of the next seven through two frees each by Cormac Philips and Michael Farrell and a pair from points from Adrian Phillips to lead 0-7 to 0-2 on 12 minutes.
Paddy Fallon’s frees in the seventh and 16th minute kept the Rossies on their coattails before Farrell and monster points by Eoghan Collins and Adrian Phillips extended Mayo’s lead to seven.
Roscommon would finish the half strongly as they outscored Mayo 1-4 to 0-3, the goal coming from Cormac Mulry on 34 minutes after he collected Paddy Fallon’s free before turning to fire past Davog Freyne, and that major reduced the gap to three at the interval, 0-13 to 1-7.
The sides exchanged two points apiece after the restart before Mayo hit another three without reply through Cormac Phillips, Diarmuid Phillips and Michael Farrell (free) to restore their six-point advantage on 48 minutes.
That lead would be reduced to a point coming into added time as Mayo would find only one more point through another Farrell free following a strong final quarter by Roscommon. Despite losing Robbie Fallon to a red card on 64 minutes after striking out at Adrian Phillips, five frees from Mickey Joe Egan and a point from Sean Canning left it all to play for but points in injury time through Evan and John Heraty ,and Farrell’s tenth of the evening, sent Mayo into the final.
