Gaelic Games

Shane Walsh helps keep Galway’s winning run over Mayo going

Mayo suffer second straight defeat as promising league start fades

Galway’s David Cunnane gets the ball away as Colm Boyle of Mayo closes in during the Allianz Football League Division match at MacHale Park in Castlebar. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
Galway’s David Cunnane gets the ball away as Colm Boyle of Mayo closes in during the Allianz Football League Division match at MacHale Park in Castlebar. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
Sat Mar 02 2019 - 21:35

Mayo 0-12 Galway 1-11

Galway’s dominance over Mayo – it is four years since Mayo beat their Connacht rivals – continued at MacHale Park as they emerged worthy winners in what was at times a bruising encounter before a crowd of over 10,000.

Late points in six minutes of injury time from Donal Vaughan and Diarmuid O'Connor left Mayo needing a goal to win the game but it was Galway who played the better football into a strong wind in the second half. They also had an ace in the pack in Shane Walsh, who kicked five frees, a huge score on the night considering the conditions.

Ironically it was while two Galway players – Michael Daly and Barry McHugh – were sent to the sin bin within 30 seconds of each other that Galway scored their goal in the first half following a very well orchestrated move. Danny Cummins started and finished it after Johnny Heaney put the ball on a plate for him to tap to the net on 26 minutes,

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Playing with the strong wind in the first half, Galway made hay with Antaine Ó Laoí scoring two from play, while Heaney, Michael Daly and Cummins were also on target to give them a 1-7 to 0-3 lead at the break. All of Mayo's scores coming from frees from Jason Doherty.

Mayo closed to within a point of their rivals –1-8 to 0-10 – with seven minutes remaining but three unanswered frees from the unerring Walsh restored a four-point lead which Mayo could only cut in half

MAYO: D Clarke; C Barrett, D Harrison, K Higgins; L Keegan, C Boyle, S Coen; M Ruane (0-1), D Vaughan (0-1); F McDonagh, A O'Shea, D O'Connor (0-1); J Durcan, D Coen (0-1), J Doherty (0-7, six frees).

Subs: K McLoughlin for J Durcan (h/t), A Moran (0-1, mark) for S Coen (47 mins), B Reape for McDonagh (69).

GALWAY: R Lavelle; E Kerin, SA O'Ceallaigh, D Wynne; G O'Donnell, J Daly, J Heaney (0-1); T Flynn, C Duggan; M Daly (0-1), D Cummins (1-2, one mark), O Cooke; B McHugh, S Walsh (0-5, five frees), A Ó Laoí (0-2).

Subs: F Ó Laoí for Bradshaw, G Bradshaw for T Flynn (both h/t), E Brannigan for D Cummins (60 mins), P Cunningham for A O Laoi (70).

Referee: M Deegan (Laois)