Durcan injury the only cloud in Mayo cruise
Cormac O'Reilly of Cavan in action against Sam Callinan of Mayo during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 1 match between Mayo and Cavan at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Castlebar, Mayo. Photo by Stephen Marken/Sportsfile
MAYO comfortably disposed of a disappointing Cavan challenge in sun-splashed Castlebar on Saturday evening. The home side were never threatened in a match that rarely hit the high spots, but Kevin McStay was delighted to see his men get their championship campaign back on track following their disappointing Connacht final defeat to Galway.
The hosts began without Aidan O'Shea, who was replaced in the forward line by Cillian O'Connor. The leading scorer in championship football was making his first start in some time and looked lively and energetic throughout, ending the game with four points.
The first half ended with Mayo four clear, 0-9 to 0-5, despite playing into a stiff breeze. Both sides were somewhat hesitant, with Mayo showing reluctance to move the ball quickly when goal chances arrived, and Cavan looking disjointed in attack.
However, Mayo did move the ball smartly through the middle third and their movement looked good up front, but Cavan remained in the game by turning over ball and looking to get up the field at every opportunity.
However, that didn't always go to plan and the men in blue only threatened the home posts fleetingly. Oisín Brady converted three frees for the guests while midfielder Oisín Kiernan and wing-forward Ciarán Brady also troubled the umpires.
However, the home side were dominant throughout the opening half with Matthew Ruane and Diarmuid O'Connor doing well around the middle, and Ryan O'Donoghue busy in attack.
At the back, Mayo were comfortable for the most part. Cavan did have a sniff of a goal after 26 minutes when wing-forward Oisín Kiernan burst through but Mayo men swarmed around him and smothered the danger.
At the other end, goal chances for Darren McHale and Matthew Ruane finished up over the crossbar and that trend continued in the second half when a driller from Cillian O'Connor flew just over the crosspiece.
Cavan needed a surge early in the second half to revive their fortunes but it failed to materialise as Mayo controlled matters around the middle with Diarmuid O'Connor, Ruane, Jordan Flynn and Jack Carney seeing a lot of the ball.
O'Donoghue continued to kick points for the leaders and he was joined on the board by Stephen Coen, Conor Loftus and McHale.
Cavan needed a goal to have any chance but opportunities were squandered when they arrived. Paddy Meade punched an effort wide when he had more time in front of the posts than he realised and Pádraig Faulkner shot for goal after 58 minutes but Diarmuid O'Connor was well-placed to block the shot on the line. The Ulster men found themselves trailing 0-7 to 0-16 at the hour mark.
However, moments later they did get a badly-needed net-shaker when James Smith's blasted home after Tíarnan Madden's effort had been blocked by O'Donoghue. That gave Cavan a glimmer of hope but points from Cillian O'Connor and O'Donoghue in the following minute soon dampened any hope of a close finish.
A good day for Mayo was clouded somewhat in the last play of the day when team captain, Paddy Durcan, who had been introduced from the sub's bench, seemed to pick up a leg injury and had to be carried off as supporters raced on to celebrate victory.
The Castlebar Mitchels clubman had just returned to action after a calf injury and his latest setback will surely worry Kevin McStay as his team prepare to face Roscommon in the next round.
R O'Donoghue (0-7, 4f), C O'Connor (0-4), M Ruane (0-3), D McHale (0-2), E McLaughlin (0-1), S Coen (0-1), J Carney (0-1), C Loftus (0-1)
O Brady (0-5f), J Smith (1-0), O Kiernan (0-1), C Brady (0-1), T Madden (0-1)
C Reape; J Coyne, D McBrien, S Callinan; S Coen, D McHugh, E McLaughlin; M Ruane, D O'Connor; J Carney, D McHale, J Flynn; C O'Connor, T Conroy, R O'Donoghue
C Loftus for McHugh (47), B Tuohy for Carney (47), P Durcan for McLaughlin (56), A O'Shea for Conroy (56), P Towey for Ruane (63)
G O'Rourke; C Reilly, K Brady, B O'Connell; N Carolan, P Faulkner, Conor Brady; O Kiernan, Ciaran Brady; C Rehill, G Smith, O Kiernan (Castlerahan); O Brady, O Kiernan (Denn), J McLoughlin
T Madden for K Brady (20), L Fortune for Rehill (30), C Madden for Carolan (ht), C O'Reilly for Kiernan (Castlerahan) (47), D Lovett for Conor Brady (66)
D Coldrick (Meath)
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