Limerick 0-24; Galway 0-19
So when is this Treaty dominance going to end? On the evidence of Sunday, the answer would seem to be not this year as John Kiely's team looked hungry and fresh and could have won by more if the need arose.
Yes, they will be a little worried that they are not scoring goals but then they are without talisman Aaron Gillane, the cutting edge of their attack who should bring that threat back when he returns.
And what of Galway? Well Henry Shefflin was all smiles with Kiely on the sideline before the match and you get the feeling that if one man and one team know how to beat Limerick, it is the former Kilkenny legend. However, on the day, they were always playing second violin and while the home side were missing half a team, there were several marquee names missing at Pearse Stadium from the All Ireland winners line up as well.
Tom Morrissey stood up as the main scoring threat with eight points to his credit while the returning starred with 0-08 for the All-Ireland champions in an Cian Lynch and the reejuventated Kyle Hayes score three each. Hayes though was lucky to stay on the field and can count his lucky stars that neither referee Sean Stack or his officials caught him swinging his hurley to the head of an opponent. Already on a yellow card, he got away with a severe lecture instead of leaving the field to a red card.
As always Limerick hit the ground running and were seven up by the break. They looked to be in cruise control until a Galway rally saw the Tribesmen cut the deficit to two points. Once again when challenged, the Shannonsiders produced the goods with Morrissey arcing over a brace and sub Donnacha O Dalaigh getting the last point to edge them out of sight.
Limerick: N Quaid; S Finn, R English, B Nash; C Barry, D Morrissey, K Hayes (0-3); D O’Donovan, W O’Donoghue; T Morrissey (0-8 (0-3f), C Lynch (0-3), M Houlihan (0-4f); S O’Brien (0-1), S Flanagan (0-1), P Casey (0-2) Subs: C Boylan for Houlihan (45), G Hegarty for Lynch (58), A English for O’Donoghue (59), D O Dalaigh for Flanagan (66).
Galway: D Fahy; J Grealish, G McInerney, TJ Brennan; C Mannion, T Killeen, J Cooney; S Linnane (0-1), C Fahy (0-1); T Monaghan (0-3), C Cooney (0-12, 0-9f), D O’Shea; J Flynn, K Cooney (0-2), M McManus Subs: D Morrissey for Grealish (h-t), C Whelan for O’Shea (h-t), B Concannon for Flynn (h-t), L Collins for McManus (67).
Ref: S Stack (Dublin).
Mayo 4-10; Tyrone 0-12
They hadn't beaten Tyrone in Castlebar for 40 years but when they decided to change that unwanted statistic, Mayo did so in style on Saturday night. Unbeaten now after four rounds of the national league and unbeaten under Kevin McStay's stewardship, we are witnessing a different type of Mayo these past weeks.
The great conundrum is - will it continue right through championship fare when they travel to the Hyde to face Roscommon, who lost their own 100 per cent record in Monaghan on Sunday.
They say you shouldn't depend on goals but when they come they win matches. And so it was as two in each half cut Tyrone to ribbons and seriously jilted their confidence in the process. This was the Red Hands third away defeat of this series and they are now facing relegation unless they can revive their hope at home against Kerry this weekend.
Aidan O’Shea is playing with a new lease of life and his first half strike allied to that of the dangerous James Carr set up a home win which was inevitable when Enda Hession and Diarmuid O’Connor scored two fine efforts on the changeover.
The crowd of over 12,000 were treated to some incisive Mayo running and O'connor's goal came after he had run half the length of the pitch to crack hom the goal of the game. Mayo also looked bigger and stronger and if they maintain this form, their name will appear alongside Kerry and Galway as likely Sam Maguire winners this season.
They now sit top of the table on points difference from Roscommon and it will be a dress rehearsal for the championship when they go to the Hyde this weekend.
Mayo: C Reape (0-1f); J Coyne, D McBrien, E Hession (1-0); S Coen, C Loftus (0-1), D McHugh; M Ruane (0-1), D O’Connor (1-0); F McDonagh (0-1), J Carney (0-1), J Flynn; A O’Shea (1-0), J Carr (1-0), R O’Donoghue (0-3f) Subs: S Callinan for Hession (44); P Durcan for Coyne (44); J Doherty (0-1) for Loftus (51); C O’Connor (0-1) for O’Shea (60); T Conroy for Carr (66).
Tyrone: N Morgan (0-3, 0-2fs, 0-1 ‘45); M McKernan, C Munroe, P Hampsey; C Quinn, P Harte, D Mulgrew; B Kennedy, F Burns (0-2); C Meyler, C Kilpatrick, J Oguz; D McCurry (0-4, 0-3f), C McShane, D Canavan (0-3, 0-1f) Subs: N Devlin for Munroe (41); M Donnelly for McShane (50); R Canavan for Mulgrew (50); K McGeary for Harte (61); L Rafferty for McKernan (70).
Ref: N Mooney (Cavan).
FOOTBALL RESULTS
DIV 1
Donegal 1-9; Galway 1-9
Monaghan 0-14; Roscommon 0-11
Kerry 0-12; Armagh 0-11
Mayo 4-10; Tyrone 0-12
Div 2
Dublin 0-16; Clare 1-12
Derry 2-15; Kildare 0-7
Louth 1-15; Meath 1-12
Cork 6-18; Limerick 0-12
Div 3
Longford 0-14; Tipperary 1-11
Fermanagh 2-13; Antrim 3-9
Down 1-10; Westmeath 0-11
Cavan 0-21; Offaly 0-14
Div 4
Wexford 2-12; Waterford 1-5
Wicklow 2-12; Laois 2-10
Sligo 1-10; London 0-6
Leitrim 2-22; Carlow 0-13
HURLING
Div 1
Limerick 0-24; Galway 0-19
Tipperary 2-23; Dublin 0-24
Waterford 1-22; Antrim 0-17
Clare 6-25; Wexford 1-18
Cork 2-21; Westmeath 0-21
Kilkenny 0-34; Laois 1-18
