Mayo 3-15

Galway 0-15

By PJ Lynch in Castlebar

IT has always been said that goals win games, and that proved to be the case once again as the Mayo minors overcame Galway in the Connacht semi-final in Castlebar on Friday evening.

Galway had claimed the spoils when the sides last met in Tuam Stadium during the round-robin section of the championship, eking out a two-point victory – but Mayo were a different side when it came to the knockout stage of the competition.

They were very much a different side on paper, with wholesale changes being made to the starting 15 for the boys in green and red. Only two players, goalkeeper Thomas Williams and forward Tony Carey, kept their positions from the loss to the Tribesmen in Tuam.

Another major difference in this semi-final was the weather. It was a bright, dry day with a nice breeze blowing from the Bacon Factory end towards the Albany end in MacHale Park. This cut down on many of the handling errors that we witnessed in the wind and rain of Tuam Stadium.

Galway won the toss and opted to try to use that breeze to their advantage in the opening half. It was Gavin Curran who registered the first score of the match after three minutes, but Mayo came back with a score from Tony Carey as he fisted over.

Barry Keating got his first of the match as he punched the ball over Thomas William’s crossbar. It would be another six minutes before we saw another score and this one would go the way of Mayo – a free from Conor Hession to open his tally.

Two minutes later the game would burst into life. Cian Hynes took on a huge 2-point effort that sailed over the bar, and Andrew Kehoe would follow that with a 2-pointer of his own. Galway now leading by four points on the 17-minute mark.

Mayo had begun to take control prior to those scores, winning the midfield battle that would prove crucial in this clash, and they would respond with a point from Conor Hession. Galway would register another 2 pointer in the half – Barry Keating on target this time.

The first goal of the match and only one of this half would come a minute after Keating’s score – great work from Mayo would see Oran Murphy with the ball right in front of goal, and he made no mistake. 0-8 to 1-3 on 27 minutes.

Mayo would follow that with a point from vice-captain Conor Coghill to leave just the smallest margin between them at the break in favour of the Tribesmen.

Pictured: One of Galway’s top scorers against Mayo in Friday’s Connacht minor football semi-final at MacHale Park was Cian Hynes.