Hard luck to the county’s hurlers, who were beaten by Kildare by the narrowest of margins – 0-17 to 0-16 – in this afternoon’s opening round Christy Ring Cup tie at James Stephens Park in Ballina.
It was a battling performance from JP Coen’s charges, who went in four points behind at half-time and then suffered a serious setback when David Kenny saw red for an off-the-ball incident after the break. With fifteen minutes left, they trailed the visitors by six points but a gutsy fightback left them just a single point behind at the finish.
Despite the result, Keith Higgins seemed to relish his first outing of the year with the hurlers. He banged over ten of his side’s total at Ballina this afternoon.
Report on today’s match by Colm Gannon in the Mayo Advertiser is here.
Despite being up against a more physically powerful team, Mayo showed a lot of heart to come back into the game and could have at least levelled it at the end. As well and all as he did, if Keith had a couple extra weeks hurling under his belt it could been the difference..
A lot of 50:50 decisions went against Mayo today. The David Kenny sending off will definitely rankle -himself and the Kildare 11 were jostling off the ball, the Kildare 11 then grabbed DK’s faceguard (an automatic red) – DK immediately returned the favour and the Kildare 11 then melodramatically drops in a heap holding his face. Kildare 11 escapes any sanction despite being the instigator (or at the very least being equally culpable). The Kildare 11 is one of two Reidy’s in the Kildare team – both of whom are sanctioned ex Limerick players who still hurl with their club in Limerick. The Kildare manager Joe Quaid is also a Limerick man. Where was the ref from? Limerick of course.. The optics definitely weren’t helped by the linesman on the stand side (who should have had the best view of the DK incident) spending the entire second half devoting more attention to friendly conversation with the Kildare Maor Uisce (like two old pals catching up at the Mart) instead of on-field events.
I would have to agree with cpr the referee amazed me with some of his decisions,absolutely made no sense and I also witnessed the linesman at that as well and he was also the linesman in the first half that should have seen Sean regans score that was waived wide by the umpire whilst everybody else was sure it was a point small margins win matches .
On a more positive note our boys played really put in a great second half and with a small bit more composure near the end could have snatched a famous victory no more than they deserved .
Lads. Going by the sound of them two comments above, it seems its happening to us in hurling as well as football.
I said it before. Its high time that our players, management, maor uisce, chief bottle washer, ships cat, Mayo fellas in the media and anybody else connected to the team, were sent on a “Dark arts” course (to degree level). Everybody else seems to have attended such a course including that Kildare number 11.
The kerry football manager just before the league final last week played an ace card with just a few comments. We need to start learning how to fool the referee and how to get into his head before the game even starts. We are getting left behind.
HOW in the name of all that is good and holy was a limerick man appointed to referee that game .WHAT WERE THE OFFICALS OF MAYO HURLING BOARD DOING AT ALL AT ALL.I am fierce disappointed.
the mayo v galway minor football championship is on at 2.30 on sunday 30/04/2017.hopefully we will have good support there.this will be a good game and it will be very close.