Davitts 2-9   Mayo Gaels 1-8

Davitts seniors got the new season off to a winning start with a four point victory over Mayo Gaels in the O Mara Cup. The game was played in Ballindine on Saturday evening and a tricky wind made it difficult to play in but credit to both sides for producing an entertaining and competitive match.

Davitts full forward Niall Treacy, a constant menace, opened the scoring with a fifth minute point. Two minutes later the home side strung together a brilliant move involving several players ending in debutante Dylan Gallagher smashing home an excellent goal. Mayo Gaels, like Davitts were missing a number of regulars, opened their account in the eighth minute but poor shooting was not helping their cause. Niall Treacy pointed again for Davitts in the 15^th minute but similar scores from the visitors in the 16^th, 19^th and 20^th minutes narrowed the gap to a single point. In the 26^th minute Shane Treacy was unlucky to see his goal effort smash off the crossbar but points by Ryan McLoughlin in the 27^th minute and Niall Treacy on the stroke of half time sandwiched a Mayo Gaels point to leave the home side ahead by 1-4 to 0-5 at the break.

Davitts took a firm grip on the match in the third quarter. A superb Liam Kearns goal after a sweeping move initiated by Cathal Higgins and involving Ryan McLoughlin, Kearns, Dylan Gallagher and Niall Treacy, extended Davitts lead to five points in the 34^th minute. Some lovely points from Niall Treacy (2) and Jack Devane (2) saw that lead stretch to nine points by the 45^th minute. Mayo Gaels fought back well though and points in the 46^th and 49^th minutes were followed by a 50^th minute goal to leave four points separating the sides with ten minutes remaining. A combination of poor shooting by the visitors and excellent defending by Davitts ensured that the four point gap remained at the final whistle with Niall Treacy shooting his sixth point in the 60^th minute and the Gaels getting the final point two minutes later.

This was an encouraging display from Davitts with Cathal Higgins, Charlie Phillips, Fionnan Gallagher, Darragh McGale, Dylan Gallagher, Liam Kearns, Jack Devane and Niall Treacy in top form. This was a good start too for the management team of Damien Egan, Derek Byrne and John Duggan.

Davitts: Tristan Diskin, Micheal Hett, Charlie Phillips, Thomas Ronayne, Fionnan Gallagher, Cathal Higgins, Mark Ronayne, Darragh McGale, Tom Corless, Dylan Gallagher (1-0), Liam Kearns (1-0), Shane Treacy, Jack Devane (0-2), Niall Treacy (0-6), Brian Og McTigue. Subs used: Ryan McLoughlin (0-1), Brian Birmingham, Sean Feerick, Lawrence Daly.