Mayo Under-21s second best to Galway

Soccer Friendly
Mayo Under-21s 0

Galway United 4
A Dervin 28, A Finnegan 57, M Rowe 73 (pen), F Lamboto 89

WELCOME to the big league.
That was very much the message sent out by a Galway United team who played some of the fastest soccer Milebush has seen in years in this friendly last weekend.
There was no shame in this defeat from a Mayo Under-21 perspective.
Joe Kelly’s men never played the game on their terms, but they were still competitive for the guts of an hour.
But Galway United eventually buckled them, partly by springing replacements that were as good as the lads on the field.
The visitors took the lead in 28th minute when Aodh Dervin drove home a thunderous volley after the Mayo lads failed to clear a corner.
They went on to close the game out over fifteen minutes in the second half, when Aidan Finnegan and Mikey Rowe both struck the net.
A Framley Lamboto finish straight out of a FIFA game underlined United’s class when he made it 4-0 in the 89th minute.
Speaking afterwards, Mayo boss Joe Kelly said he was ‘delighted’ with the display despite the heavy defeat.
“I asked the boys in the dressing room there, what did they find different. They said they were comfortable with a lot of the game, but they just said that concentration and their physical actions had to be an awful lot quicker and sharper. And that’s the difference at the higher level,” he told The Mayo News.
The experienced coach maintained that his charges held their own against the opposition for the guts of 60 minutes.
In the face of relentless Galway United pressing around the middle third, Kelly’s men actually did fairly well.
Westport United’s Harrison Quinn stood out at right-back while captain Cillian Redmond looked competent and steady.
Dylan Duane and Paul Hughes were lively on the wings while Ballyheane’s Ben Edeh was a threat.
However, the supply of ball was very scarce; therefore, the chances were very few.
A harmless Oran Groarke free that was easily held by Kieran McDonagh amounted to Mayo’s only shot on target in the first half.
Stefan Hester made some great stops as the shots came thick and fast, but he was eventually beaten by Aodh Dervin’s volley.
At half time Hester made way for James Robinson, who was breached three times in the second half.
Aiden Finnegan doubled Galway’s lead on 57 minutes when he buried a rebound after Robinson denied Robert Morley.
The rampaging winger Framley Lamboto made a big difference after coming on, winning a penalty which Mikey Rowe planted in the left-hand corner.
Lamboto put the cherry on the cake near full-time with a sugar-coated finish after taking a delicious pass from Robert Morley.
The Mayo contingent gave their biggest cheer when Galway United mentors John Caulfield and Ollie Horgan were red carded by John Mulroe after several warnings.
Nobody is certain why they became so irate with a refereeing decision when their team were 3-0 up.
What is certain is that the task of turning the newly formed Mayo FC into a competitive League of Ireland side is a big one, and it must start immediately. 

Mayo

Stefan Hester (Castlebar Celtic); Harrison Quinn (Westport United), Daniel Duffy (Kiltimagh/Knock United), Cillian Redmond (Ballyheane), Danny O’Toole (Ballinrobe); Paul Walsh (Castlebar Celtic), Oran Groarke (Castlebar Celtic), Eoghan Hughes (Castlebar Celtic), Dylan Duane (Ballina Town); Ben Edeh (Ballyheane), Dylan O’Malley (Westport United).

Subs: James Robinson (Castlebar Celtic) for Hester (half-time), Kienan Smyth (Straide & Foxford United) for Duane (half-time), PJ Gilmartin (Conn Ranger) for O’Malley (59 mins), Dylan Howley (Castlebar Celtic) for O’Toole (59 mins), Aidan Dunleavy (Ballyheane) for Walsh (70 mins), Cormac Caulfield (Kiltimagh/Knock United) for Hughes (70 mins), Nathan Reilly Doyle (Ballyheane) for Groarke (85 mins), Luke Kelly (Castlebar Celtic) for Quinn (88 mins), Brian Durkan (Conn Rangers) for Edeh (88 mins).

Galway United
K McDonagh; O O’Reilly, C Brouder, E O’Connor, A Neary; B Cunningham, A Finnegan, A Dervin, M Rowe; R Manley, Wassim Aouachria
Subs: F Lamboto, A O’Halloran, M O’Malley, L Murray.

Referee: J Mulroe