Westport leave it late to wrap up the win against eager Mayo Gaels

Mayo SFC Group 4

Westport 1-18

Mayo Gaels 1-13

Colm Gannon at St Patrick’s Park

On more than one occasion it looked like Westport had taken care of business against a dogged Mayo Gaels outfit in St Patrick’s Park on Saturday evening – but it took a late drive for the finish line to see them home with five points to spare.

The hosts were shorn of the services of Lee Keegan, who despite being named in the pre-match programme to start wasn’t part of the action for Pat Holmes’ side, but they were still able to pick up two points and set them up for a Round Two clash against Knockmore the weekend after next.

The first score of the game came from the trusty boot of Conal Dawson who tapped over a free after Lorcan Silke had been fouled. The Gaels responded with a fine score from Adam Gallagher who slalomed his way through the Westport rearguard before finishing.

Unfortunately for his side, he had to leave the fray not long after getting injured. Westport began to exert themselves in the contest, reeling off the next few scores. Ben Doyle broke up the park to finish from close range, Killian Kilkelly drove over a lovely score and Dawson tagged on a fine two-pointer from the edge of the large D and followed it up with another single.

In the middle of that run, Luke Tunney should have rattled the back of the Mayo Gaels net when he got on the end of a slick move that saw Kilkelly put him clear, but his effort was well saved by Paul Mannion. Westport were also forced into an early change at this juncture with Kevin Keane coming in to replace Liam Shevlin.

It took Mayo Gaels a while to find their feet, but they came good in the final ten minutes of the half and were able to pull themselves level by the half-time whistle thanks to a stunning turn by John Gallagher.

First, he hammered over a two-point free and followed that up in the 25th minute with another placed ball from this time just inside the two-point line. He added another from play moments later and rounded off the half with another point from a placed ball to send the sides in at 0-6 apiece at the break.

Already at this stage, the game had seen momentum swing from one side to another. The momentum looked to have swung back in Westport’s favour early in the second half when Joey Holmes was the man on the end of the final pass before crashing the ball to the back of the Mayo Gaels net to kick the final period off in style.

Kevin Keane who played a pivotal linkman role in his sides attack swung over a point to put his side four good and looking well in control early doors. However, the pendulum swung back towards the visitors when Andrew Quinn showed a clean pair of heels as he burst down the left-hand side of the Westport defence firing the ball past Paddy O’Malley and bringing it back to a one-point game.

The hosts hit back in double quick time with Kilkelly slotting over two frees inside a minute, before Keane got his second of the day not long after to leave four between the teams.

James Jennings pulled one back for the Gaels on 40 minutes, but once again Westport kicked back in anger with Kilkelly adding another to his personal tally and Tunney adding another from close range to make it a five-point game.

The south Mayo men weren’t going to go away that easily though. Jennings kicked a close range free, before Peter Gallagher stepped up to drive a huge two-point effort from a placed ball and when David Quinn got in on the act, the gap had narrowed to the bare minimum with 13 minutes left on the clock. The visitors then had a chance to push themselves into the lead for the first time when John Gallagher lined up an effort from a placed ball for a two-point score, but his shot drifted just wide.

With the game now right in the melting pot, it was Westport who grasped the nettle and drove for home and reeled off six points on the spin over the next nine minutes. Kilkelly contributed two, with Keane, Tunney, Tom Lambert and Eoghan McLaughlin all adding one each. The final score of the day went to Mayo Gaels though another John Gallagher two-pointer in injury-time, but the victory had finally been secured by the hosts.

Westport will be pleased to have gotten the championship off to a winning start but will know they will have to show some serious improvements over the coming weeks, if they are to have any real designs on bringing the Moclair Cup back to the foot of Croagh Patrick for the winter.

Scorers - Westport: Killian Kilkelly 0-0-6 (4f), Conal Dawson 0-1-2, (1 tpf, 1f) Joey Holmes 1-0-0, Kevin Keane 0-0-3, Luke Tunney 0-0-2, Ben Doyle, Tom Lambert and Eoghan McLaughin 0-0-1 each.

Mayo Gaels: John Gallagher 0-2-3, (1 tpf, 1 tp, 2f), Andrew Quinn 1-0-0, Peter Gallagher 0-1-0, (1 tpf), James Jennings 0-0-2 (1f), David Quinn and Adam Gallagher 0-0-1 each

Westport: Paddy O’Malley; Brian McDermott, Niall McManamon, Ben Doyle; Conal Dawson, Lorcan Silke, Tom Lambert; Rory Brickenden, Ryan Askin; Leon Askin, Joey Holmes, Luke Tunney; Ray Walsh, Killian Kilkelly, Liam Shevlin. Subs: Kevin Keane (for Shevlin), Pat Lambert (for Walsh), Eoghan McLaughlin, Michael Geraghty (for L Askin).

Mayo Gaels: Paul Mannion; John Finn, Luke Gallagher, Alan Brennan; Ruairi Keane, Liam Hughes, Sean Keane; Ronan Commons, Ethan Henry; David Quinn, Adam Gallagher, Kevin Lynch; James Jennings, Peter Gallagher, John Gallagher. Subs: Andrew Quinn (for A Gallagher), Padraig Jennings (for Lynch).

REF: John Walker (Cill Chomáin).