Mayo travelled to Drumlish in Co Longford on Wednesday evening to take on newcomers Offaly in the 2nd round of the 2016 Masters championship. Offaly started the game the stronger of the two, taking the game to Mayo and led right to the death when Mayo edged ahead scoring three crucial points going into the final minutes to win the contest by two points. Fielding senior county players of the not too distant past, Offaly will be disappointed with the loss considering their performance throughout the match. Their fitness levels waned somewhat in the final 10 minutes allowing Mayo, led by their Captain, Kilmeena club man, Pat Mulchrone, to take a firm hold of the game in the dying moments. The style of play served up by both teams was a joy to behold in the context of the stale insufferable defensive performances proffered by some counties in today's so-called modern game. Slick passing from hand and foot, combined with some classic point scoring kept the small group of supporters on their toes for the duration of the match. Reminiscent of a time when football was regarded as a source of entertainment for a Sunday afternoon, it was refreshing to witness two teams serve up a feast of football in a style we all could identify with from the recent past.
Local heroes, Pat and Declan, discharged their defensive duties with confidence, while upfront Darren contributed admirably to the attack. Kieran satisfied himself with the role of linesman for the evening conserving his energies (take note Mickey Feeney) for the Junior Championship match against Achill on Saturday evening in Westport at 7 pm. Your support would be appreciated.
Mayo 0 - 13 1 - 8 Offaly
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