More to come from ruthless Mayo

Mayo 0-21 Roscommon 0-9

Under James Horan, they might be putting up scores South American in size but if they have a soccer equivalent it is West Germany.

Forgetting their nine second-half wides, they are so very much in the FRG mould: efficient, clinical and extremely ruthless. Their demented work-rate is the rock on which their provincial rivals are perishing.

In game two of what they hope is six steps to a second All-Ireland finals in 12 months, they are biting deeper into the flesh of their neighbours this year.

Yesterday’s game in front of a 19,867 crowd in MacHale Park was a Harlem Globetrotters-like exhibition or, if you will, a mismatch that could be likened to what the Lions rugby team have been encountering in Australia these past couple of weeks.

Right now, Mayo are so far out of sight in Connacht they will have to rely on their own internal games to ensure they are up to the pitch of battle after they, as you can only expect, raise the Nestor Cup next month for a third year in-a-row.

Paul Caffrey’s Dublin found out to their cost the ease of provincial campaigns once they entered the All-Ireland series and it’s quite likely none of the other three winners will have it as comfortable as Mayo this summer.

Yet that is where comparison between that Dublin team and this Mayo one should stop for this James Horan’s side has already shown itself to be an exceptional outfit — and they are getting better.

Even without the likes of Barry Moran and Mikey Conroy and Andy Moran remaining on the bench, they had far too much for a Roscommon side still in its infancy of development under John Evans.

During the week, Evans had hinted the extent of his team’s aspirations in Castlebar were putting up a show. Dominating midfield for a large part of the first half, they began the game the stronger and yet ended up trailing by nine at the break, 0-13 to 0-4.

The reasons? Their wide count for a start. Seven, a total they repeated in the second half, was a more alarming number in the opening half when they broke through the Mayo rearguard on occasions.

The most glaring of them was a Donal Smith miss from a 13-metre free in the eighth minute although Mayo had two goal chances in the second half in the space of a minute when Niall Daly denied Alan Freeman and then Alan Dillon flicked the resulting 45 against the crossbar.

The home team eventually began to work through the gears, with Kevin McLoughlin and Freeman ably taking over the free-taking duties in the absence of shoulder injury victim Cillian O’Connor.

Freeman was a nuisance for Roscommon, catching two excellent high balls within a minute, winning a free which he converted with the first and then turning to convert from play with his second.

A Kevin Higgins’ score cut the gap to four in the 25th minute but the remaining six scores of the half came from Mayo, Richie Feeney, Dillon and Enda Varley sending over fine efforts in the final three minutes of normal time.

That free count at half-time was a staggering 33 total, almost one for every minute of play as Michael Duffy let nothing go.

It crept over 60 by the finish in an encounter that will be wiped from most people’s memory banks not just for Roscommon’s mediocrity but the Sligo referee’s fussiness.

Mayo were hardly put off by it though and pushed their lead into double figures just 20 seconds into the second half when Aidan O’Shea cut through.

A Senan Kilbride free brought the gap to nine but it returned to two digits shortly afterwards with the excellent Colm Boyle, Lee Keegan and substitute Moran flying over points.

Mayo’s defence in all contributed five points from play, one more than all the Roscommon forwards, those who started and were brought on, could muster.

It was that one-sided and could have been so much worse had Freeman been allowed advantage by Duffy as he was about to shoot one-on-one.

Darren Coen tagged on a couple of points before Richie Feeney spurned a great chance to cap another powerful Mayo victory.

Kilbride, so ineffective in open play, sent over two frees in the dying stages but most of his team’s supporters had already headed for home.

They had come in hope rather than expectation and left desolate, just another victim for their neighbouring county whose minds are focused on much bigger designs.

MAYO: D Clarke; K Higgins, G Cafferkey, T Cunniffe; L Keegan, D Vaughan, C Boyle; A O’Shea, S O’Shea; K McLoughlin, R Feeney, C Carolan; E Varley, A Freeman, A Dillon.

Scorers for Mayo: K McLoughlin (0-6, 5 frees), A Freeman (0-3, two frees), C Boyle, D Coen (0-2 each), D Vaughan, A Higgins, R Feeney, A Dillon, E Varley, A O’Shea, L Keegan, A Moran (0-1 each).

Subs for Mayo: K O’Malley for D Clarke (inj 38), A Moran for C Carolan (44), D Coen for E Varley (48), S McHale for G Cafferkey (inj 55), K Keane for A Higgins (58).

ROSCOMMON: D O’Malley; N Collins, N Carty, S McDermott; C Daly, N Daly, D Keenan; K Mannion, M Finneran; K Higgins, D O’Gara, C Cregg; D Smith, S Kilbride, C Devaney.

Scorers for Roscommon: S Kilbride 0-3 (all frees), E Smith 0-2, K Mannion, K Higgins, C Devaney, D Smith (free) (0-1 each).

Subs for Roscommon: E Smith for D Smith, C Shine for D O’Gara (both ht), D Shine for C Cregg (51), D Ward for D Keenan (60), C Compton for C Devaney (63).

Referee: Michael Duffy (Sligo).