Mayo Minor ladies beat Galway in Milltown thriller

Connacht LGFA Minor Championship Round 3

Mayo 2-10 Galway 0-14

In Milltown

A Kayla Doherty penalty on 51 minutes proved to be the seismic moment in this entertaining clash at a sunny Milltown as the Mayo Minor ladies qualified for the Connacht Minor 'A' final with their third championship win of 2024.

Mayo played with plenty of purpose during the opening 20 minutes, and Kayla Doherty’s free on 20 minutes saw the green and red lead 0-5 to 0-4.

However, Mayo’s game plan suffered a set-back when the visitors were temporarily reduced to 14 players on 23 minutes, after their custodian Charlie Reilly Benson picked up a yellow card and was sin-binned.

Galway upped the tempo during the final seven minutes of the first half and reeled off three points on the bounce courtesy of a brace of frees from Siún McGovern, and a skyscraper of a score from Isabelle Murray, to lead 0-8 to 0-5 at the change of ends.

The maroon and white bossed the opening five minutes of the new half and mustered a healthy 0-12 to 0-5 lead, but a brilliantly taken goal from Westport’s Christina MacEvilly after 37 minutes dragged her team-mates right back into contention.

The remainder of the second half was a real nip and tuck contest, but Brian McLoughlin’s charges were given a lifeline on 51 minutes when they were awarded a spot-kick after a Galway player was sanctioned for a foot-block. The in-form Doherty tucked away the subsequent dead-ball effort and suddenly Mayo led 2-8 to 0-13.

Galway huffed and puffed as full-time beckoned; however, Mayo sealed the win in style courtesy of a magnificent long-range point from Sarah Carney.

There will be full report carried in Tuesday's print edition of The Mayo News.