That challenge match that took place down in Bangor Erris last Sunday ended, according to Sean Rice the Mayo News, in a seven-point win for the Erris lads over what he describes as a ‘fringe’ mayo selection.  I can’t find any news about what the score was or who was in the Mayo XV – the Voice of Experience decided to stay quiet on such tidbits in his piece (though there is a bit of discussion about who was playing in this thread on the Hogan Stand discussion board) – but El Jefe described the workout as a “useful exercise” and added that he had “picked up a name or two from the Erris side”.  Funny that: I thought he’d have known most of their names in advance. I’m sure Michael Ring does.

Seeing as we’ve got the Mayo News open on the virtual table, there’s an interview in it with Sean Feeney who talks about the rationale for extending Johnno’s term until 2011 and he also offers his tuppence worth about what Johnno’s priority should be in terms of team development this year.  Sean says we need to fix the central positions “over the next year or two”.  He’s half-right – we do need to fix these positions (just like we needed to at the start of 2007 and again at the start of this year) but it needs to happen early next year, not in 2010.

The County Sec goes on to say some other stuff about the qualifiers – where he’s spot on when he says we should stop all this guff about our preferred route for reaching the All-Ireland series and take the campaign as we find it – and he voices his support for the inter-county closed season, which starts on the 1st of November.  (Just as the pheasant shooting season opens – odd that, isn’t it?)  He also says that it would be his preference to see the current minor and U21 management teams back in the saddle once again for 2009 but Sean Rice reports that Pat Holmes is unsure whether or not he’ll commit to the job for another year.

UPDATE: There’s now a match report, from Sean Rice, on Sunday’s challenge on the Mayo News – here it is. Thanks to Mike for drawing my attention to this. The Voice of Experience was obviously keeping his powder dry for the report.  BTW, is the Shane Lindsay mentioned in the report any relation of Joe Lindsay, the U21 All-Ireland medalist from 1983 and senior player in the years afterwards? He was also from Kiltane so I assume he must be.  If so, spectacular goals must run in the family – I remember Joe scoring an absolute screamer in a league match against Down in 1986.