Mayo in need of a sea change

SLIGO...1-12 MAYO...0-8: We may be still in the last days of March but Sligo fired the first warning shots of this year's Connacht championship when they put their poor league form behind them to hand Mayo a lesson in slick passing and good finishing in this FBD Connacht League final at McHale Park, Castlebar, yesterday.

Another dismal Mayo display leaves their manager, John Maughan, with a headache as he plans for the start of his championship campaign in New York in less than a month's time, and given their current form, the trip across the Atlantic is one Mayo will be wary of.

It was back in 1975 that Sligo last won a Connacht title, also at the expense of Mayo in a replayed Connacht final.

Sligo are unlikely to be handed an easier title than this one against a Mayo side whose luck deserted them on the day, the post twice denying them badly needed goals.

But luck was to play a part in the only goal of the match. Dessie Sloyan's sixth-minute effort for a point from way out on the wing sneaked in under the bar and really from then on Sligo never looked back.

They led 1-6 to 0-3 at half-time, their top marksman, Sloyan, Mark Breheny and their inspirational centre back, Michael Langan, very much the major players in that half.

Austin O'Malley, meanwhile, was the only Mayo forward to get on the scoresheet in that opening period.

Mayo made the switches in the second half but little changed. Sligo always seemed the more determined in every aspect of their play as they attacked and defended in numbers.

Gary Maye and Seán Davey were very much on top at midfield and contributed four points between them as Sligo pulled eight points clear - 1-10 to 0-5 - with eight minutes of the game remaining.

To add to Mayo's woes, Austin O'Malley missed two scoreable frees, which might have edged them closer, before time began to run out and Sligo eventually eased off the pedal.

SLIGO: P Greene; N McGuire, P Naughton, B Phillips; P Doohan, M Langan (0-1), D Durkan; G Maye (0-2), S Davey (0-2); B Curran, M Breheny (0-2), E O'Hara; D Sloyan (1-3), K Quinn, A Marren (0-2). Subs: P Durkan for Curran (65 mins).

MAYO: F Ruddy; D Geraghty, D Heaney, G Ruane; J Nallen, D Sweeney, P Kelly; F Kelly, J Varley; G Brady (0-1), BJ Padden, T Mortimer (0-1); S Malee, A O'Malley (0-4), D Munnelly. Subs: C Moran for Malee (half-time), M McNicholas (0-2) for Varley (40 mins), P Navin for Brady (50 mins).

Referee: D Hunt (Roscommon).