Facebook Twitter RSS

SEASIDE SLAUGHTER: - Mayo on a high after scoring an historic 17 point win over old rivals Galway in championship opener

Tuesday, 21 May 2013 13:54

Mayo ace Enda Varley celebrates scoring his side's second goal against Galway at Pearse Stadium on SundayMAYO supporters are in dreamland after whipping Galway in the quarterfinal of the Connaught senior football championship on Sunday at Salthill, a seaside slaughter of ruthless intensity.

It was hardly a surprise in the aftermath to hear senior player, Alan Dillon, rejecting criticism of his side’s perceived lack of scoring power, especially as an mpressive 4-16 was registered.

The Ballintubber man, who made his reappearance after an eight-week lay-off through injury, said Mayo have, and always had, quality forwards but there is a media-driven perception that they were not good enough.

“It is a media-driven perception that is out there that we don’t punish teams as well as we should. We have some great footballers there, and a lot of our finishing has improved.

“We have a squad that can compete with anyone in the country and we will keep working at it,” he said.

Mayo’s landslide success made up for some huge disappointments against the tribesmen in the past, most notably a 16-point defeat to them in Tuam in 1983.

The previous biggest winning margin recorded by Mayo over Galway was in 1951 when they went on to win the All- Ireland for the last time, winning on a score of 4-13 to 2-3.

But the statisticians had to dig as far back as 1907 for Mayo’s last win over the tribesman by a 17-point margin.

Mayo move with Menace - Galway unable to live with intensity of Horan's men

Tuesday, 21 May 2013 13:40

Mayo 4-16 .. Galway 0-11 .... NOT since 1951 has the margin of victory by a Mayo team over Galway in the championship been as wide. On that occasion it was 16 points (4-13 to 2-3) - just one less than Sunday’s mauling in this one-sided Connaught senior football championship quarterfinal at Pearse Stadium.

A few of the elder lemons reminded us that Mayo went on to win an All-Ireland title when that earthquake swallowed up Galway but some of the wiser owls were preaching caution, reminding us that in their living memory this was, without question, the worst ever performance by a Galway senior football team.

Here in Mayo we don’t have to go back too many years to a grey day in Tuam (1983) when a similar beating was handed to Mayo by a Galway team and it would be unwise to get too carried away by the margin of this victory given the circumstantial evidence of a Galway team that lacked the bite, drive, direction and character we have come to expect down the years.

However, the Mayo team and supporters are entitled to enjoy the quality of the victory as the defending champions were always under pressure in this opening hurdle in their bid to retain the Connaught title and a handful of experts predicted they might just refuse at the first hurdle.

Sidline View: Mayo power past poor Galway

Tuesday, 21 May 2013 13:29

GETTING your prediction wrong as to the outcome of a big game, especially when it is against the team you support, can never be bad. This was certainly the case with regard to last Sunday’s quarterfinal clash between Mayo and Galway in Salthill, where prior to the game I felt it was one where Mayo could easily be turned over by their arch rivals.

Gladly, I was wrong, and very wrong. However, I was not alone in my thinking that Mayo were going to have a lot of trouble in coming away from Pearse Stadium with a win. Speaking to many staunch green and red supporters before the game, they would have gladly taken a draw if offered it there and then to bring this championship encounter back to Castlebar for the replay.

I’m not so sure Mayo manager James Horan was as confident regarding the outcome as he portrayed to be in the lead up to game. He pulled a bit of a stroke by naming a different team than that which started as Kevin Keane and Darren Coen were named but replaced by Alan Dillon and Tom Cunniffe.

It was a ploy to fool his counterpart, Alan Mulholland, and it worked. The only problem about this is that his element of surprise regarding team selections might be gone for the rest of the year.

Mayo denied by late Sligo rally

Tuesday, 21 May 2013 13:07

Gary Loftus, Mayo, in action against Brian Egan, Sligo, in the Connaught Junior Championship final.Pic: SportsfileSligo 0-15 ... Mayo 1-11.... MAYO junior footballers failed to retain their Connaught crown when they lost by the narrowest of margins in the junior final played in Pearse Stadium, Salthill, on Sunday.

Mayo led for long periods of this decider and looked to be heading for their second title in as many years after dominating the opening half, where they played some brilliant football. However, the same energy and aggression wasn’t in their performance after the resumption and Sligo, bit by bit, wore them down, clawing themselves back into contention.

Sligo trailed Mayo for most of the game and only took the lead for the first time in the 58th minute with a point from Kenneth Sweeney. This score proved to be the match-winner as Mayo, despite having two or three good chances, including a fisted effort by Adam Gallagher in the 60th minute which came back off the crossbar, failed to send the game into extra time.

The opening half was highly competitive, with both sides landing some excellent scores. Mayo had raced into a two-point lead by the third minute after Dean Gavin and Adam Gallagher landed brilliant scores.

Sligo’s opening score, a point from Cathal Brennan, came in the fourth minute but this was cancelled out 60 seconds later when Kevin Newell landed Mayo’s third of the afternoon.

Although Niall Murphy left it a one-point game moments later, Mayo got in for the goal they had been threatening from the start.