Goals are the key as Mayo beat rivals to final place
Sarah Carney, who scored two points, sends Mayo on the offensive in the Green and Red's victory over Galway in the round-robin phase of the Connacht LGFA minor championship. Picture: Pauline Flatley/Mayo LGFA
An enthralling Connacht minor championship clash took a decisive swing in Mayo’s favour on Wednesday evening last, when McHale Rovers’ centre-forward Kayla Doherty coolly dispatched a crucial spot-kick which nudged Mayo in front by two points (2-8 to 0-13) after 51-minutes, and the Green and Red ultimately held on to record the vital victory.
The win, Mayo’s third in this year’s Connacht Minor Championship, sees Brian McLoughlin’s troops qualify for the final ahead of their final fixture against Sligo.
With home advantage at a sunny Milltown, Galway were eager to set the tone from an early juncture and the Maroon and White almost bagged a green flagged effort just one minute in. A long-range point attempt from Eabha Smith was about to drop beneath the crossbar but the leather was punched away by the under-pressure Mayo goalkeeper Charlie Reilly Benson, however, the loose ball fell to Alisha O’Malley and her stinging drive was blocked by a Mayo defender.
Mayo were methodical and patient in their build-up play, and one such move yielded the opening score of the evening as Ashleigh Sammon and Christina O’Malley combined, with the latter’s effort bisecting the Galway posts in the third minute.
Despite Eabha Smith levelling matters after six minutes, Mayo proceeded to enjoy a healthy supply of possession and this resulted in singles for the dynamic duo of Larissa Kelly and Kayla Doherty.
Dunmore McHales’ Katie Slattery was a busy presence for the Tribeswomen in the midfield engine room and she instigated a marvellous attacking foray that ended with Siún McGovern calling the umpire into action, much to the delight of the raucous home supporters.
This high octane tussle continued apace, with Larissa Kelly jinking and turning on a sixpence before guiding over a fabulous point from distance on 15 minutes, with The Neale’s Kate Brennan proving instrumental in the build-up play.
But back came a resolute Galway once again and Nigel Walsh’s troops fired over two quickfire points from the boots of McGovern, a free, and the industrious Alisha O’Malley, to leave the sides deadlocked at 0-4 apiece after 17 minutes.
Mayo’s Doherty was unnerving from the placed ball and her free on 20 minutes nudged the Green and Red ahead once more. However, their game-plan suffered a set-back when the visitors were temporarily reduced to 14 players on 23 minutes, after custodian Charlie Reilly Benson picked up a yellow card and was sin-binned for a foul, with the versatile wing-back Kate Brennan having to deputise between the sticks. To further rub salt into Mayo’s wounds, the reliable McGovern slotted over the resultant free to level matters once again.
Galway upped the tempo during the final seven minutes of the first-half and reeled off three points on the bounce courtesy of a brace of frees from Siún McGovern, and a skyscraper of a score from Isabelle Murray, to lead 0-8 to 0-5 at the change of ends.
The Tribeswomen bossed the opening five minutes of the new half, during which a flurry of points flowed off the boots of McGovern, two frees, Smith, with a peach of a score from an acute angle, and O’Malley.
Now trailing by seven points (0-12 to 0-5), Mayo badly needed a score and they finally stopped the rot on 36 minutes when Kayla Doherty guided over a free, and just one minute later the visitors netted a goal. A mesmerising counteroffensive from the Green and Red saw Westport’s MacEvilly collect possession and she made a beeline for the Galway goal and tucked away a smashing finish past the beaten Alenah Keohane.
Moments later, a free from the excellent Doherty reduced the arrears to just two points and all of a sudden the home supporters were becoming concerned.
A now rampant Mayo very nearly fashioned their second major of the sun-splashed evening, but this time Keohane was equal to the challenge and made a fine stop to deny Claremorris’ Bree Hession.
Galway didn’t panic and a free from Bearna Furbo’s Siún McGovern, on 45 minutes, regained a three point cushion for her team.
With the game in the melting pot, a fine point from Moy Davitts’ Sarah Carney was the prelude to a crucial Mayo three-pointer on 51 minutes. The aforementioned Carney found a vital pocket of space and darted towards Keohane’s goal, however, the former’s strike appeared to have been foot-blocked in the goal area and referee Gus Chapman signalled a penalty. Doherty was coolness personified from the subsequent dead-ball effort and suddenly Mayo led 2-8 to 0-13.
Hession then delighted the loyal band of Mayo supporters when she fired over a marvellous point to help give her team a bit of breathing space.
Galway huffed and puffed as full-time beckoned but the best that a gutsy home side could muster was a pointed free from McGovern.
During the dying embers of the joust, Mayo sealed the win in style courtesy of a magnificent long-range point from Sarah Carney, to bring the curtain down on a resolute performance by the Green and Red.
Scorers – Mayo: Kayla Doherty 1-4 (1-0p, 3f), Christina MacEvilly 1-1, Sarah Carney and Larissa Kelly 0-2 each, Bree Hession 0-1.
Galway: Siún McGovern 0-9 (8f), Eabha Smith and Alisha O’Malley 0-2 each, Isabelle Murray 0-1.
Galway: Alenah Keohane; Daria Brennan, Zoe Duggan, Leanne Seoighe; Aisling Murray, Klara Banek, Eabha Ledesma; Katie Slattery, Isabelle Murray; Eabha Smith, Alisha O’Malley, Aoife Nash; Siún McGovern, Aisling Madden, Rebecca Noone. Subs: Emelia Joyce (for Smith 42), Ruby Quinn (for A Murray 49), Amy Cooley (for Nash 54).
Mayo: Charlie Reilly Benson; Isobel Philips, Riona Jordan, Alannah McDonnell; Shauna Heneghan, Siomha McNulty, Kate Brennan; Sarah Carney, Suzanne Tuohy; Larissa Kelly, Kayla Doherty, Meabh Callinan; Ashleigh Sammon, Bree Hession, Christina MacEvilly.
Subs: Muireann Nolan (for Sammon ht), Amy Cummins (for Kelly 42), Ava Palasz (for Callinan 51).
REF: Gus Chapman (Sligo)
