SHOOTING ON SIGHT Mayo's Jason Doherty goes for goal despite the best efforts of Galway's Damien O'Reilly during Sunday's Allianz NFL Division 1 clash at Tuam Stadium. Pic: Sportsfile
Mayo win derby date at their leisure
Football Allianz National League
Division 1
Mayo 2-14
Galway 0-12
Mike Finnerty
Tuam
WHO would have thought that the 124th meeting of these two great rivals would end up quite like this?
With fifteen minutes remaining at the famous old stadium last Sunday, Mayo led by twelve points and were home and dry. Galway players, meanwhile, were scattered all around the field, chasing shadows and gasping for breath. Beaten out of sight.
It was a remarkable outcome to a match that had been expected to go the distance; instead Mayo minds were drifting towards the arrival of Armagh on Sunday week next long before Galway reeled off four late unanswered points to take the really bad look off the final scoreline.
Apart from the ease of Mayo’s victory, the game itself will be remembered for the contribution of debutant corner-forward Jason Doherty.
The talented Burrishoole attacker drilled in a goal in each half, and clipped over a neat point for good measure, on his way to a man of the match performance.
James Horan was unsurprised with Doherty’s contribution. “He’s a fine, fine footballer and a real finisher and hopefully he can build on that.”
Both goals were also perfectly-timed; the first arriving on 21 minutes after Doherty ran unopposed through the centre of the Galway defence before firing low and hard past Padraig Lally.
That score galvanised Mayo and propelled them into the lead for the first time. They never looked back, building on their half-time lead (1-7 to 0-7) during the third quarter to have the points in the bag by the hour mark.
A beleaguered and dispirited Galway were unable to live with Mayo’s pace, movement and sheer appetite for destruction in the second half.
Kevin McLoughlin, who turned in a very impressive display as a roaming wing-forward, epitomised Mayo’s work-ethic and eagerness. The versatile Knockmore man shot three points from play and linked play with authority.
Aidan Campbell’s attitude also caught the eye and he looked like he meant business right from the start, forcing Padraig Lally to tip a rasping shot over the bar during the opening half.
Mayo’s captain for the day, Andy Moran, was enthusiasm personified, as usual, and led by example while the sight of the Galway jerseys also seemed to bring out the best in Alan Dillon.
This quartet led the offensive charge that effectively won the game after the break as points from McLoughlin, Campbell (free) and Dillon (free) were followed by Doherty’s second goal on 49 minutes after a clever pass from Chris Barrett sent him through.
That score seemed to drain the life out of Galway and Mayo were rampant as Campbell (free) and McLoughlin tacked on further scores to leave the locals trailing by 0-7 to 2-13.
The game was over as any sort of a contest by that stage and Sean Armstrong, who had started the match promisingly, ended a 26 minute barren spell for Galway with a well-taken point in the 57th minute.
Mayo’s only score of the last quarter hour came from an Aidan O’Shea free moments later as the winners seemed to switch off all over the field.
The game resembled a training match in the closing stages as Galway pulled back a few ‘token’ scores from the industrious Cormac Bane (3) and Joe Bergin. However, there was no disguising their current malaise.
Time will tell if Tomás Ó Flatarta can get things back on track before the summer, when these sides will most likely meet again in the Connacht championship on June 26.
Mayo’s first victory from this eventful league campaign moves them into the relative safety of mid-table for the moment, while James Horan will have learnt a little more about his options too despite the one-sided nature of the second half.
Early on, Mayo’s defence struggled to cope with Galway’s runners and the visitors found themselves three points down after eleven minutes as Cormac Bane and Joe Bergin nailed points.
However, once Mayo got into the groove at the other end they quickly set about laying down markers. Galway looked in the mood to meet them head-on for most of the first half but Doherty’s goals changed everything.
Next up is an altogether different kind of game with Armagh on Sunday, March 13 in Castlebar.
Mayo
R Hennelly; C Barrett, A Feeney, T Cunniffe; R Feeney, G Cafferkey, J Burke; R McGarrity, J Kilcullen; A Campbell (0-3, 2fs), A Dillon (0-5, 4fs), K McLoughlin (0-3); A O'Shea (0-1, 1f), A Moran (0-1), J Doherty (2-1).
Subs used: C Hallinan for A Feeney; T Parsons for Kilcullen; P Gardiner for Burke; J Moran for Campbell; L Keegan for Cunniffe.
Galway
P Lally; A Burke, D Reilly, C Forde; K Brady, F Hanley, G O'Donnell; P Conroy, E Hoare; G Sice, C Bane (0-5, 2fs), J Bergin (0-3); S Armstrong (0-4, 2fs, ‘45), D Cummins, C Kenny.
Subs: Damien Reilly for David Reilly; E Concannon for Cummins; D Blake for Conroy; D Mullahy for Forde; N Coyne for Brady.
Referee: D Fahy (Longford)
