Lucky goal helps Crossmolina see off The Neale in intermediate quarter-final

Mayo Intermediate Quarter-final 

The Neale 0-8

Crossmolina 1-8

In Cong

A freak goal made the difference as Crossmolina got the better of The Neale in a forgettable affair by the shores of Lough Mask.

In a contest littered with turnovers, wides and shots dropping short, what made the difference was a calamitous goal which spilled from the hands of home goalkeeper Keith Hennelly and into the net from a very catchable James Maheady point attempt.

From the 42nd minute onward, that goal alone separated two teams that matched each other all over the field but were well off top gear.

The Neale opened the scoring after a minute through Tom Lydon but didn't score again for another half an hour.

In that time, Corssmolina took a three-point lead, beginning in the 19th minute when Fionán Duffy kicked their first score of the game. Follow-ups from him and two from Diarmuid Walsh put three between them on the board before Tommy Conroy replied in injury time, leaving it 0-4 0-2 at the break.

The second half offered a bit more excitement, with The Neale's supporters greeting each score with an increasingly loud roar until their side levelled through Conroy in the 41st minute.

Disaster then struck when Keith Hennelly spilled a harmless ball from James Maheady into the net.

After that, the sides exchanged scores to see out a game that neither team took by the scruff of the neck.

A full report plus reaction from Conor Loftus will be carried in Tuesday's Mayo News.