Allianz FL D1: Mayo win thriller

Allianz Football League Division One

Mayo 3-18 Galway 2-18

By Billy Coss at Pearse Stadium

An afternoon of wildly fluctuating fortunes and frantic goalmouth action in the west saw Mayo leave with the spoils after a thrilling Allianz Football League Division 1 opener with old rivals Galway in front of an attendance of 11,515.

Goals from Aidan O'Shea in the first half and both Darragh Beirne and Cian McHale in the second were the headline scores for the winners along with three magnificently struck two-point frees from the boot of returning 'keeper Robbie Hennelly.

The visitors built an 11-point lead during the third quarter and looked set to coast home. But with Shane McGrath and Fionn McDonagh netting during a frenzied revival by the hosts, the deficit dipped as low as three before Andy Moran's side deservedly held on - even if they needed some superb last-ditch defending and Hennelly saves to do so.

David McBrien and Bob Tuohy combined before Aidan O'Shea's composed finish brought the first of the day's five goals in the 17th minute. Mayo turned with a 1-12 to 0-9 advantage at the break with the highlight of Hennelly's kicking masterclass a wind-aided strike from close to 60 metres.

Darragh Beirne impressed on debut for the winners while Jack Carney's buzzer-beating two-pointer was a telling blow prior to the break as last season's Division One finalists went in armed with a six-point lead.

Oisín Mac Donnacha, who was on target from outside the arc, and Robert Finnerty were the chief score getters for an understrength Galway who might have found the net more than once during those opening 30 minutes.

Orange flags from Hennelly and Ryan O'Donoghue, along with a well-finished goal from Beirne pushed Mayo's lead out their biggest of the match at 2-17 to 0-12 on 49 minutes.

A Galway comeback looked improbable, but a pair of Finnerty points were followed up by a side-footed goal from sub Shane McGrath to cut the gap back to six early in the final quarter.

Back came Mayo with a breakaway goal from Cian McHale on 61 minutes to re-establish a seven-point buffer. Though Fionn McDonagh, who finished with 1-4 in a terrific debut, raised the game's last green flag and Mulhern floated over a two-pointer, Mayo weathered desperate late Galway pressure to prevail.

Scorers for Mayo: Robbie Hennelly 0-6 (3tpf), Ryan O'Donoghue 0-5 (1tp, 1f), Darragh Beirne 1-1, Jack Carney 0-3 (1tp); Aidan O'Shea and Cian McHale 1-0 each; Jordan Flynn 0-2, Fergal Boland 0-1.

Scorers for Galway: Fionn McDonagh 1-4, Robert Finnerty 0-5 (1f, 1m), Oisín Mac Donnacha (1tp) and Ciarán Mulhern (1tp) 0-3 each; Shane McGrath 1-0; Kieran Molloy, Finnian Ó Laoi and Daniel O'Flaherty 0-1 each.

Mayo: Robbie Hennelly; Eoin McGreal, Stephen Coen, Enda Hession; Sam Callinan, Michael Plunkett, Sean Morahan; Bob Tuohy, David McBrien; Jack Carney, Ryan O'Donoghue (captain), Jordan Flynn; Darragh Beirne, Aidan O'Shea, Tommy Conroy.

Subs: Paddy Durcan for McGreal (inj., 17), Conal Dawson for Flynn (49), Cian McHale for Beirne (49), James Carr for Conroy (55), Fergal Boland for Plunkett (60).

Galway: Connor Gleeson; Kieran Molloy, Sean Fitzgerald, Jack Glynn; Liam Silke, Johnny McGrath, Dylan McHugh (captain); Sean Kelly, Cian Hernon; Finnian Ó Laoi, Ciarán Mulhern, Daniel O'Flaherty; Fionn McDonagh, Robert Finnerty, Oisín Mac Donnacha.

Subs: Shane Walsh for Ó Laoi (temporary, 31-HT), Matias Éoin Bairéad for Ó Laoi (41), Shay McGlinchey for Hernon (47), Shane Walsh for Mac Donnacha (47), Shane McGrath for Molloy (49), Liam Ó Conghaile for O'Flaherty (65).

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork).