Galway book place in Connacht MFC semi-final after narrow victory over Mayo

Although they held a 2-10 to 0-11 lead by the 59th minute, Mayo mounted a late surge, adding 1-1 in injury time. It wasn’t enough, however, as Cossie Gilmore’s side hung on for a narrow win.

Roscommon have already progressed straight to the final, while Galway will face Sligo in the Connacht semi-final on Friday, May 1st at 6:30pm in Tubbercurry, County Sligo.

Shane Heneghan’s movement and scoring caused Mayo problems with the Caherlistrane clubman finishing with 2-2. Meanwhile, Eoin Gannon, Oisin Ó Neachtain and Ryan Connolly all delivered impressive performances for the Tribesmen.

“You come to Castlebar and you beat Mayo any day for a Galway team is always a special moment. For those young lads it is special, we did a lot of good things but we are still continuing to make some basic errors at times, we need to correct that,” said Galway minor football manager Cossie Gilmore.

Galway trailed 0-8 to 0-6 at half-time, but Mayo’s two-point advantage didn’t look like it would be enough after a wasteful opening period that included five wides and three dropped short efforts.

The first score didn’t arrive until the eighth minute, when Mayo’s Conor Hoban converted a free but that was quickly cancelled out by Joey Cullinane. The teams remained level at 0-2 apiece after Adam Healy and Aidan Brogan traded scores.

Galway briefly took the lead through Shane Heneghan following good work from Jamie Dillon and Oisín Ó Neachtain.

However, Mayo began to squeeze Evan Burke’s kickouts, claiming the next four kickouts and converting them into points through Hoban, Brogan, and Fiachra Ó Cinnseala to move four clear.

Ryan Connolly,Tiernan Mitchell along with a 45 from goaleeper Evan Burke reduced the deficit to two by the interval, with Galway set to benefit from the breeze after the break.

The visitors made a strong start to the second half, with Darragh Kelly setting up Heneghan for a goal. Mayo responded through Brogan and Ó Cinnseala to regain the lead, but Heneghan’s free levelled matters at 1-7 to 0-10 on 39 minutes.

Galway struck again when an Ó Neachtain’s effort fell short, allowing Heneghan to react quickest and palm the ball to the net. However the winners began to take control, Ó Neachtain and substitutes Mikey Mitchell and Aaron Hanrahan pushed Galway into a 2-10 to 0-11 lead approaching injury time.

Mayo rallied late, with Ó Cinnseala narrowing the gap before a penalty was awarded after Nathan Dooley was fouled inside the small square and Hoban dispatched the penalty into the back of the net.They pushed for a dramatic finish, but Galway’s defence held firm to secure victory by the narrowest of margins.

“We were in a good place at half time, a couple of points down, we kicked on in the second half, got the goal and we expected them to build a platform on that. They kind of sat back a bit and let Mayo back into it again, in fairness it’s what they have been doing in the games all along, they’re coming back,” added Gilmore.

“At times we have to beat the opposition and then beat ourselves and then go back and beat them again. Castlebar isn’t easy to come too, from that point of view we are in a Connacht semi-final and we’ve beaten a Mayo team, mixed emotions but obviously happy to have got the win.”

GALWAY: E Burke (0-1, 0-1 45); M Higgins, E Gannon (Captain), C Collins; R Connolly (0-1), O O'Súilleabháin, K Moran; O Ó Neachtain (0-1), D Kelly; E Maher, J Cullinane (0-1), J Dillon; A Healy (0-1, 0-1f), T Mitchell (0-1), S Heneghan (2-2, 0-1f).

SUBS: M Mitchell (0-1) for Healy (46), C Naughton for Maher (51), A Hanrahan (0-1) for Mitchell (51).

MAYO: A Gormley Walsh; B Joyce, E O’Boyle, L Marshall; T Kearney, A Jennings, A Smyth (0-1); A O’Dea, D Connor; J Jennings, C Hoban (1-5, 1-0 pen, 1 tpf, 0-2f), E Heneghan; C Fallon, F O Cinnseala (0-3), A Brogan (0-3).

SUBS: T McWilliams for Fallon (Half-time), N Donnelly for Heneghan (46), A Burton for Brogan (52), N Dooley for O Cinnseala (60)

REFEREE: J Donohue (Roscommon).