In a rematch of last year’s FBD championship, the result was not the same but worse for New York.
While the locals started well and had the lead by two points after eight minutes, things went dramatically south in the last 10 minutes of the first half when Mayo drilled four goals in succession past Alan Hearty.
To his defense it is very hard to stop shots when the forward is seven yards from you. It was more of the same in the second half when Aiden O’Shea added a brace of goals in the further onslaught.
New York had few lights that shone, with Jason Kelly, Kevin Walsh, Brendan McGourty and Hearty the few who won individual battles.
Mayo cruised as the game went on -- indeed it was akin to a training session as they moved the ball easily through the field to create scoring chances.
New York had a very good opening to the game as they had the first two points from Kelly and Peter Hatzer with a tremendous free doing the kicking.
Mayo calmly came back into the game, though, and over the next 15 minutes they put five unanswered points on the board with frees from Enda Varley (two) along two good points from Seamus O’Shea, who was wide open for his second which was an ominous sign of things to come.
New York’s best chance in this period was after Steven Sheridan hit the upright 23 minutes in. The ball dropped into the waiting Walsh, but his rasping shot was buried in the net in the wrong side of the post.
What happened in the last seven minutes of the first half was both clinical and thorough. Four goals in quick succession from a Mayo team that was brilliant as it drove forward.
It began with Cillian O’Connor after he took quite a few steps before dispatching to the net. He followed it by blasting wide when Alan Freeman did a lot of work before O’Connor added his second major.
Freeman and Varley had further goals as the halftime whistle arrived. It could not come soon enough for New York at this point.
Kelly again had the first point of the half when the final 30 opened. The locals also had a clear cut goal chance when Lonan Maguire hit a thunderbolt that careened back of the upright.
Mayo replied with a Freeman towering score. New York then had their most productive period of the game as they as they outscored their opponents 1-3 to 0-3 over the next eight minutes.
McGourty had a brilliant point from the right side before Adrian O’Connor cancelled out an Aiden O’Shea goal with one of his own. It came at the end of a very good passing movement and he finished it expertly.
Walsh and McGourty added New York scores, but it still left a huge gap between the sides as Mayo were now ahead 5-6 to 1-7 with the last quarter still remaining.
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That was completely dominated by the winners as they put a further 2-6 on the board against 1-1 for the locals.
Freeman and O’Shea had the goals, the second as a result of a long high ball being pulled down by the big youngster.
Mike Fitzgerald had the New York major; a cracking drive to the net after Steve Sheridan did a lot of work running at the defense before feeding the ball inside to the Kerryman. It was the final score of the contest that finally came to a conclusion with Mayo in powerful control.
One tries to look at the positive in all. It does little to be negative. Facts are facts, however, and the fact of the matter is this was a butt kicking.
New York was only allowed five subs when at least 10 could have been taken off. Certainly the players that train must be the ones that play -- when the club teams in New York are still involved in the championship it is hard to get the players released.
That being said, Dan Doona, Rory Woods, Aiden Power and Rory Stafford were big losses. Alan Hearty made some very good stops and stood strong on probably the toughest day he ever had in goal.
Ronan McGinley, Lonan Maguire and Brendan McGourty were the strongest of the back line.
cGourty did very well on his arrival to the field, and Maguire when he was further up the field.
Kevin Walsh had a decent second half, but Tommy Warburton could feel a little aggrieved to be taken off so early. He is a bull in the back line and perhaps he should have been put back there.
Jason Kelly covered a lot of ground and tried to move the ball intelligently. Mike Jim Fitzgerald finished his goal with class and indeed had some other bright moments.
Thomas Fahey is a county class defender but was introduced in the forward line.
Mayo was a calm, cool and ruthless killer on this occasion. They strayed relaxed at the start and then easily picked off their scores before going for the jugular.
Feeney, Reilly, Barrett, the O’Shea brothers, Varley and Cillian O’Connor in 30 minutes all had leading roles. Alan Freeman was tremendous.
New York: 1 Alan Hearty, 2 Paul Lambe, 3 Kevin Cardin, 4 Joe Bell, 5 Lonan Maguire, 6 Ronan McGinley, 7 Dermot Keane, 8 Adrian O’Connor (1-0), 9 Steve Sheridan, 10 Kevin Walsh (0-2), 11 CJ Molloy, 12 Tommy Warburton, 13 Peter Hatzer (0-2), 14 Jason Kelly (0-2), 15 James Moynagh. Subs: Mike Creegan for Warburton 17 mins., Mike Fitzgerald (1-0) for Molloy 21 mins., Brendan McGourty (0-2) for Cardin 35 mins., Kevin Rodgers for Moynagh 38 mins., Thomas Fahey for McGinley, 45 mins.
Mayo: 1 Ken O’Malley, 2 Dermot Geraghty, 3 Ger Cafferkey, 4 Eoghan Reilly, 5 Chris Barrett, 6 Richie Feeney, 7 Lee Keegan, 8 Seamus O’Shea (0-2), 9 Jason Gibbons (0-1), 10 Kevin McLoughlin, 11 Aiden O’Shea (2-0), 12 Aiden Campbell (0-1), 13 Enda Farley (1-2), 14 Alan Freeman (2-4), 15 Cillian O’Connor (2-1). Subs: Mark Ronaldson (0-1) for O’Connor, Trevor Hawley for Cafferkey, Ronan McGarrity for Varley.
Referee: Ollie Kelly (Roscommon).
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