Mayo hurlers too strong for Orchard men

Mayo got their 2026 Nicky Rackard Cup campaign off to a flyer thanks to a 2-25 to 2-7 win over Armagh at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds.

Playing with a very strong wind in the first half, Mayo were 0-8 to 0-0 ahead before Armagh registered their first shot on 12 minutes, with Cormac Phillips (three frees), Eoin Delaney, Shane Boland, Alex Evans and Corey Scahill all splitting the posts as well as the returning Adrian Phillips, who is back with the county hurlers after being part of the Mayo senior football panel last year as a goalkeeper.

Ryan Duffy and Cormac Phillips (free) added further points before Armagh raised a green flag against the run of play through Charlie McArdle on 17 minutes.

Mayo cancelled the goal out with three points on spin, but McArdle found the net again on 23 minutes for the Orchard County as Mayo failed to deal with a long drive in from Aaron Cullinane and McArdle’s knock back across ended up in the Mayo goal.

Once more however, Mayo’s dead ball prowess from Cormac Phillips and Shane Boland proved crucial, outscoring Armagh 0-4 to 0-2 in the final eight minutes of the first half to lead 0-18 to 2-2 at the break.

Armagh now had the wind at their backs in the second half, but it was Mayo who were growing stronger, the home side tagging on only five more points for the remainder of the contest.

Scahill, Shane Boland (two), John Heraty and Cormac Phillips kept the scoreboard ticking and Scahill’s piledriver past goalkeeper Ciaran Duffy on 54 minutes ended Armagh’s faint hopes, while Eoin Delaney, Joseph Burke and a goal for Cormac Phillips late on rounded off what was, in the end, a very comfortable victory for Ray Larkin’s side.

Mayo will look to make it two wins from two when they face Tyrone in Castlebar on Sunday week

*See Tuesday's Western People for full coverage