Stylish Mayo book their ticket to Croker

The Mayo hurlers are destined for Croke Park following a fourth straight victory in this year’s Nicky Rackard Cup. Ray Larkin’s side turned in arguably their most complete performance of the year when beating neighbours Sligo 1-32 to 1-17 in Castlebar on Saturday afternoon.

The ground work was done in the first-half when eleven different scorers helped Mayo muster a six points advantage despite playing against the breeze.

Six pointed frees by Andrew Kilcullen had kept the visitors in touch somewhat, and the same player was on target along with Darragh Flynn and Conor Griffin after the restart to reduce their side’s arrears to four points. However, Mayo’s response was to hit a goal and seven points unanswered between the 46th and 59th minutes, the major flicked in by John Heraty on foot of hard work from his Moytura clubmate Joe Burke.

It was a double blow to the Yeats County who only a minute earlier had lost full-forward Griffin to a straight red card for an altercation beneath a high ball into the Mayo goalmouth.

Shane Boland’s nine points, including six from frees, together with four from play by Liam Lavin and three apiece by the impressive Ryan Duffy, Eoin Delaney and Cormac Phillips, helped the Green and Red post their highest score of the campaign.

The final, to be played on the weekend of May 31/June 1, could yet see them face Sligo again, however, the Black and White are in a battle with Roscommon, both of whom still have a round robin game left to play, to see who will advance to the final.

See Tuesday's Western People for full coverage.