Ronaldson gives Mayo and Horan further lift

A DOMINANT second-half that saw Mayo hold Roscommon to just one point, saw James Horan retain his 100% record as Mayo manager.

Mark Ronaldson was the hero with 1-7 to all but set up a final pairing with a NUIG side managed by their former boss, John Maughan.

Roscommon led 0-7 to 0-6 at the break and when Fintan Cregg added to that advantage after the restart they looked good.

After Fintan Cregg’s early score in the second-half it looked good for Roscommon, but Mayo turned up the heat, with Ronaldson’s goal and points from Andrew Farrell, Enda Varley and Jason Gibbons sealing the 1-12 to 0-8 win.

Galway, already out of contention for the title, produced a display which will give new manager Tomás Ó Flatharta plenty of hope.

Matthew Clancy, with 1-5, led the way as Galway ousted 14-man IT Sligo by 1-20 to 0-7 in a foggy Tuam, with Sligo inter-county star Keelan Cawley getting a red card after 25 minutes.

At that stage only two points separated the sides, but Galway kicked on and scored six points without reply to end the half 0-11 to 0-4 in the ascendancy.

But the killer blow came six minutes from time when Clancy gathered the break at the edge of the square before finishing smartly past fellow Galway man Adrian Faherty.

Elsewhere, a hat-trick of goals from Jason Doherty gave NUI Galway victory over Sligo in Enniscrone, to make it three wins from three for the students. Alan Costello’s second point of the day brought Sligo level with six minutes remaining, but Doherty bagged two goals in two minutes to seal the win for NUI Galway on a 3-9 to 0-13 scoreline.

Mark Breheny kicked 0-6 for Sligo and Adrian Marren also impressed with 0-4, but the 3-3 from the Mayo forward sealed the victory for John Maughan’s side.