Gutsy Gaels unable to hold back the tide in Westport
Killian Kilkelly scored seven points from frees as Westport eventually eased away from Mayo Gaels on Saturday.
Mayo SFC Group 2 – Round 2
Westport 3-18
Mayo Gaels 2-11
Stuart Tynan at St Patrick’s Park, Westport
Westport kicked on in the final 10 minutes to see off a stubborn Mayo Gaels and book their place in the quarter-finals of the Mayo SFC on Saturday.
At first glance, the 10 points win for Westport may make it seem like it was a comfortable evening’s work but this game was in the melting pot until well into the final quarter. Westport led by four at half-time but Ethan Henry’s second goal of the game, on 34 minutes, drew Gaels level and the Coveys struggled to shake off their stubborn counterparts, with Jack Fallon, John Gallagher and Adam Gallagher all keeping Gawels on Westport’s coattails.
The home side needed a source of inspiration and found it in Eoghan McLaughlin who played a part in all of their three late goals, scoring the final one, to send Mayo Gaels into a shootout with neighbours Balla to see who avoids the relegation playoff.
The visitors were dealt an early blow after Peter Gallagher was withdrawn after coming off the wrong end of a collision with Lee Keegan and Westport got up and running on the scoreboard through Luke Tunney, a Conal Dawson free and Finbar McLaughlin.
Sean Keane opened the scoring for Gaels yet Westport continued to make inroads through the opposition’s backline, this time Colm and Mark Moran pointing for the home side as Westport put intense pressure on Paul Mannion’s kickouts.
A free from Paddy O’Malley and Colm Moran’s second point were negated by John and Adam Gallagher but Westport pushed the gap out to six through Joe Grady and Mark Moran, the latter’s score coming after a great run by Eoghan McLaughlin to set up Moran for a shot on goal only for the former Mayo panellist to blaze over the bar.
Against the run of play, ex-Mayo U20 stars Jack Fallon and Ethan Henry combined as they cut through the heart of the Westport defence before Henry blasted the ball past Paddy O’Malley for his first major.
Frees from Killian Kilkelly and Conal Dawson either side of a point by Adam Gallagher left the gap at four at the break and it remained that way after John Gallagher, a free, and Colm Moran traded points.
The game would then come alive following a superb long-range effort by Bryan Morrin, when Fallon and Henry teamed up again for Henry to net his second goal and draw Mayo Gaels level with the 2022 champions.
After Balla’s first round heroics, another club from central Mayo was giving Westport a tough test and the teams would be level on another three occasions, as two frees by Killian Kilkelly and a point from Eoghan McLaughlin were pegged by Adam Gallagher, Jack Fallon and John Gallagher. However, Westport soon upped the gears.
Colm Moran hit the post with the goal at his mercy after Eoghan McLaughlin dispossessed Ryan Connolly but a minute later, Oisin McLaughlin found the net.
It was academic from here, and Colm Moran made no mistake second time around to palm in Westport’s second goal on 50 minutes. John Gallagher got Gaels’ two final points from frees but Westport refused to let up, with Killian Kilkelly nailing a trio of frees and Eoghan McLaughlin slamming home a trademark goal on 56 minutes, darting through the Gaels backline before finishing past Paul Mannion.
Scorers – Westport: Killian Kilkelly 0-7f, Colm Moran 1-2, Eoghan McLaughlin 1-1, Niall McManamon 1-0, Conal Dawson (2f) and Mark Moran 0-2 each, Luke Tunney, Finbar McLaughlin, Paddy O’Malley (f) and Joe Grady 0-1 each.
Mayo Gaels: Ethan Henry 2-0, John Gallagher 0-5 (3f) Adam Gallagher 0-3, Sean Keane, Bryan Morrin and Jack Fallon 0-1 each.
Westport: Paddy O’Malley; Kevin McGuire, Niall McManamon, Luke Tunney; Ronan Geraghty, Rory Brickenden, Paul Lambert; Lee Keegan, Joe Grady; Conal Dawson, Eoghan McLaughlin, Finbar McLaughlin; Colm Moran, Mark Moran, Killian Kilkelly. Subs: Oisin McLaughlin (for Grady 43), Alan Kennedy (for Geraghty 51), Pat Lambert (for F McLaughlin 54), Liam Shevlin (for Dawson 57), Lorcan Silke (for Pat Lambert 58, inj).
Mayo Gaels: Paul Mannion; Bryan Morrin, Luke Gallagher, Kevin lynch; Ruairi Keane, Liam Hughes, Alan Brennan; Ethan Henry, Sean Keane; Peter Gallagher, Ronan Commons, Conor Burke; Jack Fallon, John Gallagher, Adam Gallagher. Subs: David Quinn (for P Gallagher 2, inj), Ryan Connolly (for D Quinn ht), Phelim Prendergast (for A Brennan 46), John Finn (for Lynch 59), Jack Jordan (for Morrin 60).
REF: John Walker (Cill Chomáin)
