Mayo ladies escape with first league win after last-gasp Galway effort falls short

Lidl Ladies National League Division 1 Round 2

Mayo 2-5 Galway 0-10

Oisín McGovern in Ballinasloe

LIAM McHale's Mayo earned their first competitive win under his stewardship as they overcame a Galway team that were in it right until the death in Ballinasloe this afternoon.

A pair of goals in either half from the experience Lisa Cafferky made the difference in a game where Mayo were comfortable but far from secure.

In the end, a last-gasp Roisin Leonard free which drifted wide was all that separated a win from a draw for the Mayo ladies.

There was little to separate the two teams in a scrappy first half where Mayo first took the lead in the sixth minute through a pair of Maria Cannon frees.

Galway – who started without all of their All-Ireland winning Kilkerrin/Clonberne players – when ahead when Aoife O'Rourke (2) and Ciara McCarthy pointed them two ahead.

Mayo lost star midfielder Aoife Geraghty to a yellow card in the 14th minute lived off their wits, narrowly avoiding punishment for several leaked goal chances.

Instead, it was Liam McHale's ladies who found the net against the run of play when Tara Needham sent a sublime ball into Lisa Cafferky, whose finish was just as impressive as the pass.

Having kicked four wides, Galway trailed 0-5 to 1-3 at the short whistle.

Mayo - without setting the world alight - kept their local rivals at arms length until Tara Needham yet again turned provider for Cafferky for Mayo's second goal in the 51st minute

Mayo went onto miss a chance to kill the game when Needham saw a close range effort smothered by Galway's Dearbhla Gower.

Westport's Fionnuala McLaughlin kicked Mayo four points before Ailbhe Davoren and Roisin Leonard (2 free) made it a one-point game deep into injury time.

Leonard had a chance to salvage a point for Galway, put kicked her free just wide with the last kick of the game.

There will be a full match report plus reaction carried in Tuesday's Mayo News.