Mayo's Dessie Keegan looked like being an early casualty in the M DONNELLY Senior Softball Championship on Friday evening last. Keegan lost his opening game to Meath's Carl Browne and was 16-12 down in the second game before recovering his form. The Mayo kingpin dominated from mid-way through the second game, and eventually booked his round of 16 place on a 11-21, 21-16, 21-16 scoreline. Keegan is seeded number four in the championship ranks and his exit would have been the talking point of the weekend, but it was the defeat of his Ballaghaderreen team-mate, Vinnie Moran that proved the big surprise of the opening round. Moran was defeated by Meath young-gun, Brian Carroll in two straight games, 21-18, 21-20 and actually led the second, 20-12 before going down to the in-form Royal. Carroll is one of the main men to watch in the Intermediate championship and this victory will add great dept to his confidence over the 60x30 season. Ironically, Ballaghaderreen will have Carroll and Browne's Meath club, Kells in the MACSPORTS All-Ireland Interclub final this evening (Monday) in Roscommon, with the Mayo giants bidding for a fifth consecutive title. Keegan will be steering the Mayo men, with Moran, Joe McCann and Paul Flynn making up the western outfit, Browne and Carroll will be joined by number two championship seed, Tom Sheridan and former All-Ireland champion, Walter O'Connor. Action gets underway at 7.30pm in Roscommon. Tweet

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