Impressive Mayo beat Galway in Youth Inter-League opener
The Mayo League U18's enjoyed an excellent start to the FAI Youth Interleague, defeating Galway United 3-0.
The Mayo League recorded an impressive victory at a sunny Milebush on Sunday afternoon, and will have a three goal cushion when they travel to Eamonn Deacy Park for the second league of this tie.
Galway League were full of endeavour during the early stages of this clash. However, the first noteworthy effort fell to the Mayo League on eight minutes when Jack Walsh forced the Galway custodian into a smart save.
The visitors were eager to inflict some damage to the Green and Red gameplan away from home and the guests very nearly plundered the lead on 22 minutes. A chance was conjured up for their lively midfielder Steven Jennings, however, his strike was expertly dealt with by the alert Oisin Costello.
The breakthrough finally arrived for a gutsy Mayo on 26 minutes. A peach of a through ball from the aforementioned Jack Walsh released the scampering Conor Brett and the latter finished with aplomb.
Moments later, the hosts very nearly doubled their lead. Ballinrobe Town’s Ben Place teed-up Simeon Popov but this time the Galway ‘keeper Jack Carroll produced a fine smothered save.
However, the busy hosts bolstered their lead on 37 minutes. Killian Conway collected possession outside the box, and he weaved his way past his marker before unleashing a sumptuous finish into the top corner of the net.
Three minutes later, Mayo could have been out of sight. Popov, who was proving to be a handful for the visiting defence, threaded a smashing ball into the path of Walsh and the latter’s effort crashed against the woodwork, before the recycled possession found Popov, whose effort was thwarted by the vigilant Carroll.
Galway almost made a positive start to the second half, with Jennings’ fizzing drive flying inches over Costello’s crossbar.
The hosts refused to ease off the gas during the early stages of the second half and they could well have fashioned a third on 52 minutes. Half-time Mayo substitute Rhys Neary raced onto a through ball, only for the advancing Carroll to come to the rescue for his Galway team-mates.
A plucky Galway regrouped and the visitors enjoyed a purple patch with efforts being crafted for Davitt Dems and his team-mate Kyle Greaney, but on both occasions Oisin Costello produced vital saves to ensure his goal remained intact.
The leaders could well have grabbed the all-important insurance strike on 73 minutes, when Nathan Heneghan and Fionn McLaughlin combined, only for the latter’s close-range effort to be denied by an outstretched boot from Carroll, with the guests subsequently being awarded a free-kick during the ensuing scramble for possession in the box.
A raft of second half substitutions disrupted the flow of the game; however, Mayo snatched a vital third goal during the dying embers of the tie, courtesy of super-sub Fionn McLaughlin, whose delightful finish rustled the bottom corner of the net.
Mayo will travel to Galway for the second leg with a three goal cushion; however, one would expect a backlash from the Maroon and White, especially on home soil.
