Mayo defeat Derry to secure Division 1 safety
Mayo’s Ryan O’Donohue holds off Derry’s Patrick McGurk. Picture: INPHO/Lorcan Doherty
Mayo held off a second half tour de force from Conor Glass to defeat Derry 2-19 to 1-17 in Celtic Park this afternoon.
After Frank Irwin netted Mayo’s second major six minutes into the second half, it appeared the visitors were cruising to victory over the misfiring Oak Leafers, leading by ten points going into the final ten minutes.
A trio of Conor Glass two-pointers, and a point from Conor Doherty that was initially a two but Colm Reape got a hand to it, reeled Mayo in but the Green and Red struck two late scores to seal their third league win and safety, as well as relegate last year’s Division 1 champions.
In a topsy turvy first half, Patrick McGurk fired a rocket into the net for Derry inside three minutes after Ryan O’Donoghue opened the scoring.
The combination of O’Donoghue and Matthew Ruane fired nine points in the first half, while Shane McGuigan hit Mayo for four. Derry could never pull away from Mayo however, and the visitors struck late in the half through Fenton Kelly, Ruane and Jordan Flynn’s stunning goal (which arrived after the hooter had blown) to put Mayo 1-11 to 1-8 in front at half-time.
Derry started the second half brightly but Mayo got a second goal on 41 minutes through Frank Irwin. Mayo would hit the next five points as Derry misfired in front of the posts (nine wides in total) and it appeared the visitors were cruising to victory.
Conor Glass began his shooting exhibition on 59 minutes and two minutes later, Mayo’s ten-point lead was cut in half after two scores outside the arc from Glass and Doherty’s double turned single.
Another Glass two-pointer reduced it to four before substitute Eoghan McLaughlin made sure of Mayo’s own two points for the win.
Mayo will conclude their league campaign when they welcome Donegal to Hastings Insurance MacHale Park next Sunday.
