GAA: Clinical Mayo take the derby spoils
Mayo crest
Allianz NFL Division One- Round One.
Galway 0-10 Mayo 2-12
Mayo continued their fine run of form over their bitter rivals as the Westerners ran out surprising eight point winners. The defending champions made the perfect start to the league campaign in Salthill yesterday and left Pádraic Joyce and his team going back to the drawing board.
A strong breeze was prevalent all throughout the game in Pearse Stadium and it was Mayo who made the stronger start. Fergal Boland found a pocket of space in a packed Tribesmen defense and split the posts. Dylan McHugh answered the Boland score with a gem on the 45′ sailing through the gale to tie the game up.
Liam Ó’Conghaile continued his sparkling form in pre-season to put his side in front before Ryan O’Donoghue restored parity. The first major the match was struck on 11 minutes as Westport star Eoghan McLaughlin was played in by Boland and sent a bullet past Connor Gleeson to pull Mayo in front. Jordan Flynn kept the Mayo scoreboard ticking with a point.
Mayo were temporarily reduced to 14 when O’Donoghue was adjudged to have pulled his man down and left Tyrone whistler Sean Hurson with no choice but to brandish a black card. Ó’Conghaile made the most of the away’s side numeric disadvantage and slotted over a point. Shane Walsh hammered over a trademark score before Flynn got Mayo tails back up.
Cathal Sweeney swung over a gorgeous effort on 33 minutes. Mayo registered the final two scores of the half from the boots of Bob Tuohy who was ruling the midfield battle and the influential Boland to leave four between the teams at the interval in favour of Kevin McStay’s men.
Boland sold a lovely dummy to his marker and made the perfect start for the Green and Red on 39 minutes while Walsh kept Galway in it with a free. Mayo captain Paddy Durcan landed a bomb from 50 metres to keep the Tribesmen at arms length which was followed hastily by a O’Donoghue free.
The tricky wind was not helping either sides with a number of attempts floating wide. Walsh added more points from a free and a pearler from a 45 which was answered instantly by Mayo substitute Paul Towey. Cillian Ó’Curraoin hit the last Galway score of the day’s play.
Diarmuid Duffy found himself in a one on one with Gleeson and shot straight at the Dunmore man. The Ballinrobe attacker was seen to have been pulled back by a Galway man. Hurson pointed to the penalty spot and awarded Mayo the penalty. Sharpshooter Cillian O’Connor stepped up and made no mistake with a sublime low shot breezing past Gleeson.
Jack Carney brought the curtain down on proceedings with a fine point which left eight points between the sides at the end. Galway will hope to bounce back in style next week as they travel away to Roscommon. Mayo, host reigning All-Ireland champions in McHale Park, Castlebar on Saturday night.
Galway: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Seán Fitzgerald, Eoghan Kelly; Seán Mulkerrin, John Daly, Kieran Molloy; John Maher, Dylan McHugh (0-1); Johnny Heaney, Shane Walsh (0-4, 2f, 45), Céin Darcy; Liam Ó’Conghaile (0-2), Niall Daly, Cathal Sweeney(0-1).
Subs: Matthew Tierney (0-1, 1f) for N.Daly, Paul Conroy for Heaney, Cillian Ó’Curraoin (0-1) for Molloy, Robert Finnerty for Darcy, Daniel O’Flaherty for Ó’Conghaile.
Mayo: Colm Reape; Jack Coyne, David McBrien, Rory Brickenden; Paddy Durcan (0-1), Sam Callinan, Eoghan McLaughlin (1-0); Bob Tuohy (0-1), Conor Reid; Fergal Boland (0-3), Jack Carney (0-1), Jordan Flynn (0-2); Aidan O’Shea, Tommy Conroy, Ryan O’Donoghue (0-2, 2f).
Subs: Diarmuid Duffy for Reid, Paul Towey (0-2) for Conroy, Cillian O’Connor (1-0,p) for O’Shea, Donnacha McHugh for Tuohy, Stephen Coen for Boland.
Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone).
