Mayo saunter to win over Armagh in Nicky Rackard Cup

Mayo went top of the Nicky Rackard Cup table thanks to a comprehensive 1-29 to 0-11 victory over Armagh in the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds.

The home side scored only one point in the first half, courtesy of a Pauric McNaughton free, in a lacklustre display as the Green and Red mercilessly punished them. Mayo's lead at the break, 0-16 to 0-1, could have been much more were it not for eight wides in the first half while Armagh corner-back Paudie Lippen and goalkeeper Fintan Woods both denied Liam Lavin and Cormac Phillips in front of goal.

Lavin, Eoin Delaney, and Shane Boland all hit three points in the first half for Mayo, Ryan Duffy and Eoghan Collins had two each while Simon Thomas, Cormac Phillips and a monster free by Bobby Douglas from 75 metres out rounded off an emphatic display of shooting by the Division 3 league champions.

The introduction of Odhrán Curry, Stephen Keenan and Danny Magee off the bench had an impact for the Orchard men early in the second half, outscoring Mayo 0-5 to 0-1 in the opening seven minutes but Mayo hit back with 1-4, the goal coming from Simon Thomas on 50 minutes while Liam Lavin and Shane Boland shared the points.

Armagh would score only four more points in the final 20 minutes of the game through Magee, Shea Gaffney and Pauric McNaughton, the latter Armagh's top scorer on the day with 0-3. Mayo would finish with a flurry as Liam Lavin, Shane Boland, Cormac Phillips, Eoin Delaney, Evan Heraty, Brendan Sheridan, Daniel Huane and a 65' from Bobby Douglas rounded off a 21-point win.

Mayo will look to make it three wins from three when they take on Louth next Saturday in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park.

*See Tuesday's Western People for full coverage