Mayo………………….….….2-17
Louth………..……………….1-11

The Mayo Senior Hurlers took another step forward in their attempts to regain Division 2 status with this comfortable win over Division 3B table-toppers, Louth in Pairc Clan na Gael, Dundalk on Sunday last. Mayo were boosted in this tie by the return to action of dual player Keith Higgins, who was in top form as he contributed 1-6 to the Mayo scoreline.

Playing with the aid of the gentle breeze in the opening half, Mayo ran up 1-11 to Louth's response of 0-3, with all six of the Mayo starting forward line contributing to the score sheet. Keith Higgins (free), Paul Broderick, Adrian Freeman (free) and Kenneth Robinson all recorded minors in the opening ten minutes as Mayo got out of the blocks fast. In the 13th minute, that man Higgins was on hand again, as he rifled a penalty home to the roof of the Louth net, after full forward Robinson was hauled down inside the small parallelogram. Louth then opened their account with their main attacking threat, Ger Smith opening their scoring shortly after, before the Mayo attack went on the rampage again, recording six points from play in succession between the 15th and the 24th minute. Derek McConn, Keith Higgins (2) and Stephen Broderick (3) contributed handsomely during this lean spell for the Mayo attack, which in effect was the result of some quality fast-ball in from the Mayo half back line of Stephen Coyne, Paddy Barrett and Ger Whyte. Smith again and midfielder Trevor Hillard registered points to pull Louth back into contention, but Higgins had the last say of the half as he pointed from a '65.

The match was effectively finished off as a contest within two minutes of the restart as Paul Broderick was on hand in the 37th minute to blast from close range to the Louth net. Further points from Paul Broderick again, as well as converted efforts from Adrian Freeman and Derek McConn put Mayo in a commanding seventeen point lead with still twenty five minutes of the contest to play. Louth began the hard task of putting some respectability on the scoreboard and were rewarded with points throughout the remainder of the game from Ger Smith (6 point, 4 frees), Sean Byrne and eventually a late consolation goal from Declan Byrne to put a brighter look on the board for the Leinster men.

A worrying note towards the end of the contest was an ankle injury picked up by Paul Broderick, which forced him out of the game, as he converted his final point of his 1-3 tally for the day. The big Westport man was stretchered off and will be a doubt for next Saturdays match against Monaghan. Also, worrying was the manner in which the Mayo side eased up in the second half, allowing a seventeen point lead be cut back to nine. In a league where scoring difference and scoring averages may come into effect to decide table toppers, this relaxed attitude in the final quarter of the game may come back to haunt the Mayo lads when the scores are being totted up at the end of the campaign.

Mayo: Tomas Duffy (Ballina); Derek Walsh (Ballyhaunis), John Duffy (Ballina), Shane Morley (Tooreen); Stephen Coyne (Tooreen), Paddy Barrett (Belmullet), Ger Whyte (Castlebar); James Hogan (Westport), Kevin Healy (Ballina); Keith Higgins (1-6,1-4f) (Ballyhaunis), Stephen Broderick (0-3) (Westport), Derek McConn (0-2) (Ballyhaunis); Adrian Freeman (0-2,1f) (Tooreen); Ken Robinson (0-1) (Tooreen), Paul Broderick (1-3) (Westport). Subs: Adrian Hession (Tooreen) for Paul Broderick (inj), Paul Lynch (Ballyhaunis) for James Hogan, Sean Kelly (Castlebar) for Stephen Coyne (y-c).

Louth: S. Smith; N. Byrne, P. Dunne, S. Darcy; J. Carter, G. Collins, D. Murphy; T. Hillard (0-2), D. Callan; D. Byrne (1-0), D. Dunne, G. Smith (0-8,5f); D. McCarthy, A. Carter, S. Byrne (0-1).
Ref: C. McGuinness (Down)