Roscommon got their 2016 campaign off to the perfect start by handing Sligo IT a 13-point hammering at St Croans in Ballintubber.

The Rossies, under the new management team of Kevin McStay and Fergal O'Donnell, took control of this contest from the 16th minute onwards after Kieran Kilcline rattled the Sligo students' net and they'd keep their foot on the throttle throughout the second-half to see out a 1-20 to 0-10 victory.

In Tuam, Kevin Walsh's Galway received a tougher test from his former side Sligo, as they'd need goals from Damien Comer and Enda Tierney to see off the Yeats men by 2-9 to 0-12.

Stephen Rochford's first game in charge of Mayo proved an even more tricky assignment as the Connacht champions required two late points from Kevin McLoughlin and goalkeeper Rob Hennelly (free) to see off NUI Galway's brave challenge.

Adam Gallagher performed heroics in the first-half to see the Galway students ahead by 0-7 to 0-6 at half-time in Castlebar and goaled in the second-half to cancel-out McLoughlin's major, but his efforts ended up being in vain as Mayo held on for the 1-12 to 1-10 win.

In today's later game, Leitrim cruised to a 3-16 to 1-6 victory against GMIT at the Connacht GAA Centre, where goals from Nevin O'Donnell (2) and Thomas Mulvey were more than enough for the winners.

Roscommon - D O'Malley; R Stack, S McDermott, R Daly (0-1); C Daly (0-1), C Cregg, B Murtagh (0-1); N Daly, I Kilbride (0-1); C Devaney (0-4), K Kilcline (1-0), S Oates; C Connolly (0-3, 1f), C Shine (0-3), C Murtagh (0-5, 3f). Subs: G Patterson for B Murtagh, C McHugh (0-1f) for C Murtagh, F Kelly for I Kilbride, F Cregg for S Oates.

Sligo IT - B McGovern; D McConnon, R Gallagher, J Birmingham; C Surlis, E McGrath, K Donoghue; D McCormack, R Connolly (0-1); C Clinton (0-1), C McGettigan (0-2), C Kenny (0-1f); K Smullen, N Walsh (0-1), A Traynor (0-3f). Subs: D O'Reilly for E McGrath (BC), L Carr for J Birmingham, K Tighe (0-1) for K Smullen, M Rock for C McGettigan.

Referee - M Flaherty.

**

Galway - T Dolan; D Wynne, C Silke, E Kerin; J Heaney (0-1), A Coyne, R Greene; P Conroy, E Hoare; D Comer (1-1), S Maughan (0-2, 1f), E Brannigan (0-1); P Mannion (0-1), A Varley (0-2), D Cummins (0-1). Subs: F O Curraoin for P Conroy, E Tierney (1-0) for D Comer, J Lyons for S Maughan, N Walsh for P Mannion, M Reddington for E Brannigan.

Sligo - A Devaney; L Henry, J Martyn (0-1), M Gordon; G O'Kelly Lynch, D Maye, L Bree; N Murphy (0-6, 1f), E McHugh (0-1); N Ewing, J Hynes, N Gaughan (0-1); K Sweeney (0-1), P Hughes (0-1), B Egan. Subs: P McNamara for N Gaughan (BC), J Rodgers (0-1f) for B Egan, K Cawley for K Sweeney, D Cummins for J Hynes, J Gillen for G O'Kelly Lynch.

Referee - P Daly.

**

Mayo - R Hennelly (0-1f); B Harrison, K Keane, P O'Hora; C Boyle (0-1), S McHale, S Nally; J Gibbons, T Parsons; K McLoughlin (1-4, 0-4f), M Ronaldson (0-1), D McHale (0-1); K Ruttledge, J Doherty (0-1), C Loftus (0-3, 2f). Subs: M Sweeney for K Ruttledge, K Higgins for S McHale, C Crowe for J Gibbons, G Cafferkey for P O'Hora.

NUI Galway - D O'Sullivan; K McDonnell, D Cunnane, D Murray; J McManus, L Cullen, A Nolan; C O'Shea (0-1), P Cooke (0-2, 1f); E O'Donoghue, M Daly (0-1), A Gallagher (1-4, 1-0pen, 0-2f); K Finn, E Finnerty (0-1), C Davey (0-1). Subs: S Moran for E O'Donoghue, E Boland for A Nolan, E Lavin for A Gallagher, A McCormack for P Cooke.

Referee - B Judge.

**

Leitrim - G Hickey; M Murphy, N Woods, K McGriskin; P Maguire, B Prior, S Quinn (0-1); S Moran, D Wrynn (0-1); N O'Donnell (2-2), E Mulligan (0-7, 2f), K Conlon (0-1); B Mulvey (0-1), A Croal (0-2), C Gilheany. Subs: R Flynn (0-1) for C Gilheany, T Mulvey (1-0) for N O'Donnell, M McWeeney for K McGriskin, D Sweeney for S Moran, J Rooney for S Quinn, R Mulvey for C Reynolds.

GMIT - C Nolan; C Reilly, A Farrell, E McGrath; K Nally, J Kinahan, P Holloway; D Brennon, P Prendergast (0-1); C Donnellan, R Steede (0-1), Michael Farragher; Martin Farragher (0-3, 2f), A Glennon (1-1, 0-1f), J Donnellan. Subs: A Kelly for Michael Farragher, J Downes for J Kinahan.

Referee - C McGovern.

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