Mayo hurlers held by Fermanagh in Brewster Park blockbuster

NICKY RACKARD CUP

Fermanagh 1-22

Mayo 3-16

In Enniskillen

MAYO might be already in the Nicky Rackard final but they can count themselves very fortunate to have left Brewster Park with a share of the points today after encountering a home side packed with passion and desire.

The Fermanagh men had lost all their previous games in the competition but came up against a Mayo team with 13 changes from their previous outing against Sligo. That seemed to give the home side impetus and they tore into the guests from the throw-in.

Mayo took a while to find their rhythm as the hosts' Ben Corrigan and Sean Corrigan looked good early on. However, an Eoin Delaney goal after 12 minutes had Mayo in front.

That didn't deter Fermanagh and with midfielders Tom Keenan and Caolan Duffy powerful around the middle and attackers John Duffy and Jimmy Tormey lively and accurate, they powered back to lead by four at the interval, 1-12 to 1-8, with the goal coming from Duffy after 17 minutes.

Mayo were hoping for a good start to the second half, but the opposite was the case. A stream of points flowed over Kevin Duffy's bar and the Green and Red were soon ten behind.

Ray Larkin then sprung some of his big-hitters from the bench with team captain David Kenny and attackers Liam Lavin and Cormac Philips coming into the game.

Slowly but surely, the men of the west worked themselves back into contention with Delaney, Philips, Lavin and Ryan Duffy clipping over points. However, there were still three points between the teams in injury time and Mayo needed a goal.

They got it four minutes into injury time when Lavin's shot was saved by Francis McBrien and Corey Scahill blasted the ball to the net from an acute angle.

That balanced the scores but Fermanagh weren't finished and Sean Corrigan put them back in front with a long-range point. There was still time for one last Mayo attack and when Lavin raced through it seemed as if a goal was imminent, but McBrien pulled off a great save to divert the ball over the bar and secure a deserved draw for the home side.

A full match report and after-match reaction will be carried in Tuesday's Mayo News.