Allianz Football League Division One

MAYO 3-23 GALWAY 0-17

By Cian O'Connell at Tuam Stadium

In a year like no other Mayo still relish an emphatic victory over their long time foes.

While the green and thousands weren’t at the fabled old ground to witness this, a brilliant first half display nailed Galway.

It was a truly remarkable exhibition from James Horan’s outfit, who chalked up 2-17 from 22 shots, which compared very favourably to Galway’s 0-7 from 12.

The chief damage was done with the nifty Mark Moran and Paddy Durcan decorating a dynamic start by clipping fine goals.

Problems were cropping up everywhere for the locals, who lost Damien Comer and Johnny Duane to injury inside 10 minutes.

Nonetheless Mayo had already accumulated a 0-5 to 0-1 advantage by then before Moran mined a 12th minute goal.

Aidan O’Shea’s power was causing Galway real bother and Mayo poured forward at every available opportunity.

The signs were encouraging for Mayo with Conroy, O’Shea, and Cillian O’Connor providing a potent threat and Galway were under duress.

Paul Conroy clipped a couple of points as Galway trimmed the gap down to 1-5 to 0-4, but it was merely a brief interruption.

Mayo were dictating the agenda and edged 1-10 to 0-7 in front prior to another smashing burst which yielded 1-7 on the spin.

Oisin Mullin and O’Shea crafted space for the advancing Durcan, who lashed a 28th minute goal that was followed by a flurry of points.

Ultimately it meant Mayo went in 16 points ahead at the break with Galway’s mission simply focusing on restricting damage when the action recommenced.

Trying to win the second half is the traditional term when an outfit encountered initially difficulty and Galway did improve somewhat after the restart.

Cillian McDaid, Robert Finnerty (2), and substitute Adrian Varley all landed points as Galway hit four of the first six scores in the third quarter, but Mayo were far from perturbed.

A third Mayo goal was eventually planted when Conor Loftus, revelling in the centrefield exchanges, rattled the Galway net in the 53rd minute.

Conroy did pose some questions, but Mayo closed out the deal with the minimum of fuss. In these deeply uncertain times, even when the N17 was quiet, this was still a sweet and satisfactory afternoon for the green and red.

Scorers for Mayo: Cillian O’Connor 0-10 (8s), Mark Moran, Paddy Durcan, and Conor Loftus (1m) 1-2 each, Tommy Conroy and Aidan O’Shea 0-3 each, Stephen Coen 0-1 (m).

Scorers for Galway: Robert Finnerty 0-7 (6fs), Paul Conroy 0-3, Liam Silke 0-2, Cillian McDaid, Gary O’Donnell, Matthias O Baireid, Adrian Varley, and Cein D’Arcy 0-1 each.

MAYO: David Clarke; Oisin Mullin, David McBrien, Lee Keegan; Paddy Durcan, Stephen Coen, Eoghan McLaughlin; Mattie Ruane, Conor Loftus; Fionn McDonagh, Mark Moran, Diarmuid O’Connor; Cillian O’Connor, Aidan O’Shea, Tommy Conroy.

Subs: Bryan Walsh for McDonagh (43), Padraig O’Hora for McBrien (50), Darren Coen for C O’Connor (54), Ryan O’Donoghue for D O’Connor (54), Jordan Flynn for Ruane (62).

GALWAY: Connor Gleeson; Conor Campbell, Sean Andy O Ceallaigh, Johnny Heaney; Liam Silke, Johnny Duane, Cillian McDaid; Cein D’Arcy, John Maher; Eamonn Brannigan, Damien Comer, Jason Leonard; Robert Finnerty, Paul Conroy, Ian Burke.

Subs: Michael Daly for Comer (5), Gary O’Donnell for Duane (10), Adrian Varley for Brannigan (31), Tom Flynn for Maher (HT), Matthias O Baireid for D’Arcy (56).

REFEREE: Maurice Deegan (Laois).