I came across some numbers recently from a Gaelic statistics website and I was shocked with what I saw. MacHale Park has not been a fortress for the Green and Red when it comes to the National Football League.

The study done by Gaelicstats.com (here) has assessed every point gained in the National Football League by all eight teams in each division. Since 2011, Mayo have played 25 of their League games at home. They have lost more than they have won in MacHale Park (11W, 12L). They drew twice also in that time and have picked up a total of 24 points from 25 matches in the six year period, giving them a point average of 0.96.

It leaves them 25th on the list with only the likes of Wicklow, Carlow and Carlow languishing below them with averages less than 0.8. Unsurprisingly, Dublin have the best home record in the league and have only lost three times in Croke Park in 26 games, giving them an average of 1.65 points.

Mayo’s away record reads the exact same from 25 games as their home record totalling an average of 0.96 on the road also. However, that point average means that they’re the 9th best team on the list for travelling with our neighbours Roscommon, sitting pretty on top with a 1.38 average. Our other neighbours, Sligo are the worst team at grinding out a win on the road, winning only four of their matches with an average of 0.42 points.

Mayo have finished 5th in the League in the last three years in a row and four times overall since 2011. They have finished 4th on two occasions and their best placed finished was in 2014 when they finished 3rd. On that occasion, they clocked up nine points, the highest total in the six-year period while their lowest points total came in 2011 when Mayo only managed five points.

Our league form certainly hasn’t been the best, but it seems like we’re just happy to be in Division One and, as long as we stay there, that’s all that matters.

The end of one league season was met with the start of another league season as the Mayo football league threw in. Round 2 took place last weekend and this is how some of the Mayo county players got on in the Division 1A.

Ballintubber were head and shoulders above Crossmolina on Saturday evening and that advantage was partly down to the scoring of Cillian O’ Connor. The Mayo forward notched up 2-4, with three of those points coming from frees and the two late goals coming within a minute of each other. Conor Loftus featured for Crossmolina and popped over a point for his side and Alan Dillon had a forty minute run-out the ‘Tubber.

Aghamore also grabbed a comfortable win on Saturday evening against Charlestown with Fergal Boland getting 1-4 of their 2-12 score-line. Tom Parsons was ruled out of the game with a finger injury which was a huge blow to Charlestown and Brendan Harrison anchored the middle of the park for Aghamore.

Garrymore and Ballaghaderren could only share the spoils in their round two tie. The evergreen Andy Moran was Ballagh’s top scorer with seven points, five from a free and one from the ’45 line. Shane Nally was ruled out of the game after picking up an injury against Breaffy the week before.

Ballina had a sixteen-point win over Bohola Moy Davitts. David Clarke was solid between the sticks and kept his second clean sheet in the league. Ger Cafferkey played the full 60 minutes in his second match after returning from a long-term injury which is welcomed news for Mayo supporters. Evan Regan pitched in with the Ballina scoring, popping over four points with three of those coming from placed kicks.

A single point was all that separated Davitts and Hollymount-Carramore with Colm Boyle’s Davitts coming out on top. Boyle hit two points for his side, one of which was a superb effort from outside the ’45 metre line. Stephen Coen lined out in his usual centre half-back position for Holly-Carra putting in a tight defensive performance for his team.

An Aidan O’ Shea goal two minutes after the restart was crucial in separating Breaffy and Claremorris. In fact, all the O’ Sheas got on the scoresheet for Breaffy, with a goal for Aidan, two points for Conor, one of which was a free in the dying minutes when the sides were level, and one point for Seamus.

It was a great weekend of football action in Mayo’s Division 1A and great too to see so many of the county players on the scoresheet for their respective sides.