Galway 2-9
Mayo 1-11

Padraic Joyce hasn't got this far in a stellar career by checking gift horses for dentures, so when a short kickout from Mayo goalkeeper David Clarke delivered two league points neatly wrapped into the Killererin man's hands, Joyce didn't hesitate to rip off the ribbons.

STRIKE . . . Galway's Fiachra Breathneach shoots to score his side's first goal despite the attempts of Mayo's Keith Higgins during Sunday's league clash at MacHale Park in Castlebar. Photo: Oliver McVeigh / SPORTSFILE.

The win sends Galway back to the summit of the Division 1 table and was just about deserved after a stoutly contested contest in windswept Castlebar.

In a low-scoring first half, Liam Sammon's men found themselves adrift after twenty minutes when Andy Moran finished to the net after an excellent Mayo move. Conor Mortimer and Alan Dillon had already pointed frees as the home side made the most of the elements.

But Galway gradually gained a foothold with Michael Meehan supplying a brace of points, before Fiachra Breathnach struck for a well-taken goal just before the interval. Joyce and Meehan had combined well to create the opening.

A serious injury to Joe Bergin rocked Galway but Cormac Bane soon added a point to send the Tribesmen in at the break just a point behind.

Joyce and Meehan again combined cleverly after the restart and Mayo keeper Clarke was unlucky to see his smart save from Meehan spill to the feet of Matthew Clancy, who made no mistake.

With the wind now at their backs, Galway looked well-placed and points from Meehan and Gary Sice sandwiched another Mortimer free as the advantage stretched to three.

But just as the home crowd looked resigned to defeat, John O'Mahoney's men embarked on a spirited revival, and it was the defence that led the way.

David Heaney, Colm Boyle and Kieran Conroy all vacated their posts to storm forward for excellent points, Mortimer and James Gill kept up the forwards' end of the bargain, and another O'Malley free helped Mayo into a one-point lead with just minutes left on the clock.

Points from Joyce and Meehan had kept Galway in touch but it was teenage substitute Paul Conroy that fashioned the equaliser, last year's minor star clipping coolly over from forty yards.

And when Clarke misjudged a kickout into the wind in the last minute, Joyce arrowed the winner from wide on the Galway left.

GALWAY: P Doherty; K Fitzgerald, F Hanley, D Burke; G Sice 0-1, N Coyne, D Mullahy; J Bergin, B Cullinane; D Dunleavy, P Joyce 0-2, D Meehan; M Clancy 1-0, M Meehan 0-4 (3f), F Breathnach 1-0. Subs: C Bane 0-1 for N Coyne, inj., 7; P Conroy 0-1 for J Bergin, 35; N Joyce for C Bane, 47; E Hoare for N Joyce, 64.

MAYO: D Clarke; T Cunniffe, K Conroy 0-1, C Boyle 0-1; D Heaney 0-1, T Howley, K Higgins; R McGarrity, T Parsons 0-1; J Gill 0-1, A Dillon (0-1), P Harte; C Mortimer 0-2 (1f), A O'Malley 0-3 (3f), A Moran 1-0 (1f). Subs: B Moran for P Harte, 45; P Kelly for T Cunniffe, 46; M Ronaldson for B Moran, 64.

REFEREE: D Fahy (Longford).

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment