Mayo cruise to victory against toiling Cavan

MAYO got the job done without over-exerting themselves against a disappointing Cavan side before a crowd of 9,197 in sunny Castlebar.

Mayo dominated the first half as Cavan, who replaced two inside forwards with more defensive players before throw-in, relied on last-ditch defending to keep them in the hunt.

By the break, the hosts were 0-9 to 0-5 in front and, while Cavan had struck five wides, they still must have been wondering how they were still well in touch, given the ease with which Mayo carved them open repeatedly.

The Westerners eased into a 0-5 to 0-0 lead, despite playing against the wind. They cut in with alarming ease for the opener from Darren McHale; Gary O’Rourke turned Matthew Ruane’s effort over the bar for the second, and Eoghan McLaughlin sent over the third off the left boot.

Cillian O’Connor and Ryan O’Donoghue were next to register. Cavan finally got off the mark with an Oisin Brady free after a foul on Padraig Faulkner in the 16th minute, but Mayo replied with two O’Donoghue frees.

Oisin Kiernan fired over a huge effort from outside the 45 but Cavan didn’t have time to draw any inspiration from it as Mayo bombed straight downfield and Ruane blasted over from another goal chance.

That typified the pattern of the match; while Cavan huffed and puffed and ended up with 10 wides, Mayo were much more economical and, in the second half in particular, picked Cavan off on the break at their ease.

Mayo moved ahead by 0-9 to 0-3 but a well-taken Ciaran Brady point and an Oisin Brady free cut the gap at the break.

Cavan needed a major improvement in the second half but, wind-assisted, Mayo bagged five of the first six points to more or less put the game to bed.

O’Donoghue (free), O’Connor, Stephen Coen, Ruane and Conor Loftus all sent over easy points, with sub Tiarnan Madden landing Cavan’s only point in this spell after Mayo goalie Colm Reape was turned over.

The game appeared to be petering out before Cavan found a glimmer of hope when James Smith crashed to the net from close range with 10 minutes left, but O’Connor and O’Donoghue hit back with points from play. Late on, Mayo’s Paddy Durcan crumpled to the turf with what looked like a nasty injury.