St Patrick's Day delight for Derry with thrilling win over Mayo

Derry showed why they are top of the pile in Division 1 after a thrilling 3-15 to 2-13 win over Mayo at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park.

Niall Loughlin found the net for Derry on eight minutes before Jordan Flynn responded immediately for the hosts a minute later with a thunderous shot past Odhran Lynch.

Jack Carney, Ryan O’Donoghue, Sam Callinan and Tommy Conroy all split the posts in the first half but Conroy’s score on 22 minutes was the last of the first half for Mayo as Derry struck 1-4 without reply, the goal coming from Shane McGuigan, for the Oak Leaf to lead 2-7 to 1-4 at half-time.

Aidan O’Shea, Fergal Boland and Colm Reape all pointed early in the second half but Derry countered with three of their own and Conor McCluskey buried a third goal into the net on 42 minutes to put the visitors nine ahead.

Mayo roared back to life when substitute Paul Towey found the net ten seconds after coming on and points from O’Donoghue, league debutant Aaron McDonnell, Colm Reape and Towey brought the gap back to two.

Derry would finish strong, however, as Conor Glass, McGuigan and substitute Niall Toner sealed a five-point win.

Full report, reaction and analysis in Tuesday’s edition of the Western People.