Mattie Ruane, Mayo, and Gareth McKinless, Derry, in Allianz Football League action. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Allianz Football League Division One
Derry 3-15 Mayo 2-13
By Colm Gannon at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park
Derry eventually claimed victory over May. Midway through the second half it looked like they had all the heavy lifting done, but a late Mayo fightback saw them have to dig deep to take the spoils.
Shane McGuigan was the main man leading the way for Derry with some outstanding scores early doors as they established a 2-7 to 1-4 half-time lead.
Mickey Harte made four changes to the team previously announced before throw-in and one of them Niall Loughlin rattled home the first goal of the day nine minutes in. Mayo led early doors by 0-2 to 0-0 thanks to scores from Jack Carney and Ryan O’Donoghue as both sides felt each other out.
Shane McGuigan slotted over a wonderful score on eight minutes to get Derry moving and less than a minute later he was centrally involved in the first three-pointer of the day.
Niall Loughlin burst along the stand side of the field towards the goal and looked to pass it across to an oncoming teammate, but Sam Callinan’s hand looked to have pushed it away to safety.
However, the ball was worked back to McGuigan whose scuffed effort for a point fell into the path of Loughlin, who palmed it to the net to put Derry into a 0-2 to 1-1 lead.
That lead lasted less than a minute, when Jordan Flynn crashed the ball past Odhran Lynch after he collected a pop pass from Tommy Conroy at full pace and the Crossmolina man made no mistake.
Shane McGuigan kicked two points on the spin to edge Derry back in front, with the Slaugthneil man causing Mayo all kinds of problems, before Sam Callinan levelled the game up once more at 1-3 each on 20 minutes. Tommy Conroy cut in from the left corner to sweep over Mayo’s fourth and final point of the half on 22 minutes, and from then on it was all Derry.
McGuigan got his fourth point of the half with a free from on the 45m line, then Ciaran McFaul lofted over a sweet right footed effort on the run on the half hour mark.
Padraig McGrogan thumped the ball over the bar after a throw ball failed to be claimed by either side.
The resultant kick-out went straight to Ethan Doherty who found McGuigan who made no mistake and slotted low to the net to put Derry 2-6 to 1-4 up and there was still time for Diarmuid Barker to get one more point and have Derry leading by six the break.
Aidan O’Shea got the first score of the second half from a free, but two quick points from Paul Cassidy and McGuigan had Derry back moving in the right direction.
Fergal Boland and Colm Reape pointed for Mayo, but any chance of a comeback looked like it was extinguished shortly after when first Gareth McKinless pointed and from the very next play Conor McCluskey cut through the heart of the Mayo defence for his sides third goal of the day and looked to have ended the game as a contest.
But Mayo weren’t done and Paul Towey got their second goal of the day within seconds of coming on to rouse the home crowd and put a pep in his teams step.
Towey’s effort was quickly followed by another goal chance - this time for Jordan Flynn, but his effort was brilliantly saved by Odhran Lynch. Colm Reape drove over a 45, then Towey got in for a point and Ryan O’Donoghue tagged on another score and it was back to a two point game with eight minutes left on the clock.
Despite the encouragement of the home faithful, Derry were able to refind their focus and points from Conor Glass and Shane McGuigan along with a late brace from Niall Toner eased their nerves and saw them home to victory,
Scorers for Derry: Shane McGuigan 1-6 (2fs), Niall Toner 0-3, Conor McCluskey 1-0, Niall Loughlin 1-0, Ciaran McFaul 0-1, Padraig McGrogan 0-1, Conor Glass 0-1, Paul Cassidy 0-1, Gareth McKinless 0-1, Diarmuid Barker 0-1.
Scorers for Mayo: Paul Towey 1-1, Jordan Flynn 1-0, Ryan O’Donoghue 0-3 (2fs), Aidan O’Shea 0-2 (1f), Colm Reape 0-2 (1f, 1 45) Aaron McDonnell 0-1, Sam Callinan 0-1, Jack Carney 0-1, Fergal Boland 0-1, Tommy Conroy 0-1.
Mayo: Colm Reape; Aaron McDonnell, Rory Brickenden, Sam Callinan; Donnacha McHugh, Stephen Coen, Enda Hession; Jack Carney, Matthew Ruane; Bob Tuohy, Fergal Boland, Jordan Flynn; Aidan O’Shea, Tommy Conroy, Ryan O’Donoghue.
Subs: Conor Loftus for Tuohy, Jack Coyne for Hession, Paul Towey for Boland, Fenton Kelly for McDonnell, Kevin Quinn for Loftus.
Derry: Ryan Odhran Lynch; Conor McCluskey, Christopher McKaigue, Diarmuid Barker; Gareth McKinless, Eoin McEvoy, Padraig McGrogan; Conor Glass, Brendan Rodgers; Ethan Doherty, Ciaran McFaul, Paul Cassidy; Niall Loughlin, Shane McGuigan, Lachlan Murray.
Subs: Niall Toner for Loughlin, Donncha Gilmore for McKinless, Cormac Murphy for Murray.
Referee: Sean Lonergan (Tipperary).