Mayo win in Pearse Stadium

Mayo made it four wins from five meetings with Galway under Kevin McStay’s management following a comfortable victory in Salthill this afternoon.

Allianz National Football Division One – Report from Gaa.ie

Mayo 2-12 Galway 0-10 By Mark Walsh at Pearse Stadium

Two early goal chances went awry for Mayo before marauding wing-back Eoghan McLaughlin took an assist from Fergal Boland and buried a ball into the bottom corner in the 12th minute. Mayo’s second goal came in injury time from their all-time top-scorer Cillian O’Connor, a penalty slotted past Connor Gleeson, and Jack Carney rounded off a fine team performance with the last point of the game.

Galway won the toss and elected to play with the wind into the Rockbarton Road End. Damien Comer joined Seán Kelly, Cillian McDaid and Liam Silke on the treatment table, and Kilconly’s Niall Daly was drafted in to replace the Galway full-forward.

Padraic Joyce’s team scored just five times in the first period despite the strong wind and went 19 minutes without a point.

Boland was outstanding for Mayo in the first half, and he got the scoring underway in the second minute. Dylan McHugh and Liam Ó Conghaile, on debut, replied for Galway, but a Ryan O’Donoghue free and McLaughlin’s goal put Mayo firmly in control by the end of the first quarter.

Johnny Heaney’s block of a Jordan Flynn sent the ball looping onto and over the bar and with 21 minutes played, Ryan O’Donoghue was given a black card by Tyrone referee Seán Hurson, the man in charge when the counties met in Pearse Stadium in last June.

Mayo managed O’Donoghue’s time in the bin well, keeping the ball for several minutes in one passage of play, and conceded just two points to Ó Conghaile and Shane Walsh.

Mayo finished the first period with points from Flynn, Bob Tuohy and Boland into the teeth of the Atlantic breeze upon O’Donoghue’s return, and led 1-6 to 0-5 at the break, as Cathal Sweeney grabbed Galway’s fifth point.

Galway sprung Paul Conroy from the bench at half-time. Walsh converted three frees and a ’45 for them in the second half, and substitute Cillian Ó Curraoin hit their sole point from play in the half in stoppage time.

Boland is an accomplished dual player and he sliced over a delightful point after the resumption. Captain Paddy Durcan pointed from range, as did O’Donoghue from a free, and when Paul Towey scored with his first touch, Mayo led 1-10 to 0-8 after an hour of action.

Towey slotted another point before game’s end, as O’Connor’s penalty and Carney’s point bookended a commanding win for Mayo over their near neighbours.

Scorers for Mayo: Eoghan McLaughlin 1-0, Cillian O’Connor 1-0 (pen), Fergal Boland 0-3, Jordan Flynn 0-2, Ryan O’Donoghue 0-2 (2fs), Paul Towey 0-2, Jack Carney 0-1, Paddy Durcan 0-1 Bob Tuohy 0-1.

Scorers for Galway: Shane Walsh 0-5 (1 45, 3fs), Liam Ó Conghaile 0-2, Dylan McHugh 0-1, Cillian Ó Curraoin 0-1, Cathal Sweeney 0-1.

Mayo: Colm Reape; Sam Callinan, Rory Brickenden, Jack Coyne; Paddy Durcan, David McBrien, Eoghan McLaughlin; Jack Carney, Jordan Flynn; Conor Reid, Fergal Boland, Bob Tuohy; Tommy Conroy, Aidan O’Shea, Ryan O’Donoghue.

Subs: Diarmuid Duffy for Conor Reid (46), Paul Towey for Tommy Conroy (56), Cillian O’Connor for Aidan O’Shea (60), Donnacha McHugh for Bob Tuohy (63), Stephen Coen for Fergal Boland (70).

Galway: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Seán Fitzgerald, Eoghan Kelly; Séan Mulkerrin, John Daly, Kieran Molloy; John Maher, Dylan McHugh; Cein Darcy, Johnny Heaney, Cathal Sweeney; Liam Ó Conghaile, Niall Daly, Shane Walsh.

Subs: Matthew Tierney for Niall Daly (19), Paul Conroy for Johnny Heaney (half-time), Cillian Ó Curraoin for Kieran Molloy (50), Robert Finnerty for Cein Darcy (51), Daniel O’Flaherty for Liam Ó Conghaile (64).

Referee: Seán Hurson (Tyrone).