Mayo U-20s beat Galway in Connacht championship thriller

CONNACHT U-20 CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 2

Galway 3-13 Mayo 2-18

In Tuam

A 55th-minute penalty from Tom Lydon proved decisive as the Mayo U-20s secured their second championship win from two games.

Lydon shot 1-8 in a classic between two great provincial rivals where the result could have gone either way. 

The concession of a goal was the only major blot on an otherwise fine first half from Mayo.

There were 13 minutes gone when Galway centre-forward Éanna Monaghan wiggled inside the Mayo defence and unleashed a shot that crossed the line despite Mayo's best attempts to clear the danger.

Mayo got control around the middle and eventually levelled before Josh Carey cracked home their first goal after 26 minutes. Another free from Lydon left it 1-9 1-7 in Mayo's favour at the break.  

Galway gained the upper hand in the first half and went ahead again when Colm Costello struck their second goal at the end of the third quarter.

Derek Savage’s men went three up before Mayo equalised with an effort from Dara Hurley and a two-point free from Lydon. 

Galway bounced back with a Ryan O’Donnell goal before Mayo were handed a lifeline when the excellent midfielder Séamus Howard won a penalty. 

Lydon buried the spot kick to level before substitute Darragh Beirne put Mayo two ahead with an outrageous two-pointer. 

Galway tried to engineer a two-point score from a free in injury time, but Ciaran Mulhern’s final throw of the dice went wide, and Mayo left Tuam with the spoils. 

A full report and reaction will be carried in Tuesday’s Mayo News.