LADIES FOOTBALL Leahy praise for Mayo after they end a fractious week on a high

PETER LEAHY said he wasn’t surprised to see his side sparkle against Cavan in the TG4 Ladies All-Ireland football Championship. And the Mayo manager praised them for doing their talking on the pitch after a fractious week away from it. Mayo laid down a stunning 60 minutes of attacking football, where all but one point of their 3-23 came from open play, as last year’s runners-up drew a line under the departure of 12 players from their squad in the build-up. ‘To score 3-22 in a Championship match from play, six different scorers. I don’t think there is many times you’ll say that in a Championship match, especially with the emotional energy that was used all week. I think we let the players do the talking,’ said Leahy. ‘Our training on Tuesday and Thursday this week was just out of this world. I said if we could bring that into the game today... And that’s what we talked about, we never talked about anything else, only perform like we are performing and everything takes care of itself. They all believe in themselves.’ Mayo handed eight Championship debuts to players in Clones, but it was the combined 3-18 from the full-forward line of Niamh Kelly, Sarah Rowe and Grace Kelly that gave them the Group 4 win. Cavan — who face

Dublin next Saturday — made the most of Mayo’s all-out attack and hit goals from Donna English, Aisling Maguire, Catherine Dolan and Aisling Sheridan, but they fell well short in a 323 to 4-13 loss. In the earlier game in Clones, Monaghan escaped with a 1-11 to 1-11 draw in Group 2 after Caroline O’Hanlon missed a last-gasp free for Armagh. Blaithin Mackin’s goal had pulled Armagh back into contention following a wayward display in front of goal during a firsthalf that saw Rosemary Courtney hit the net for an efficient Monaghan. Elsewhere, Kerry manager Eddie Sheehy says his players did him proud as they got their group off to a winning start against Tipperary at MacDonagh Park in Nenagh. Sarah Houlihan scored 2-3 while Andrea Murphy was on target with the other goal. And Kerry top the group before they face Donegal on July 28. Meanwhile, Westmeath also took control of their own destiny with Leanne Slevin’s late pointed free securing a 2-12 to 2-11 win over Waterford. Westmeath manager Stephen Maxwell said: ‘It’s just unbelievable, the girls were fantastic and they deserve all of the plaudits they are going to get.’