Mayo's Connacht championship hopes dashed by Galway

Mayo have been knocked out of the Connacht senior football championship by Galway, who won by a point on a 1-14 to 0-16 scoreline at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, this afternoon.

A poor conversion rate in front of the posts didn't help Mayo's cause, while Galway showed a defensive solidity that had often been lacking in their league campaign.

The home side responded well to Johnny Heaney's goal in the seventh minute, a score that put the Tribesmen 1-3 to 0-1 ahead, to go in level at half-time (0-9 to 1-6).

Cillian O'Connor showed no lingering ill-effects from his long injury layoff as he scored three frees in that first half, with Ryan O'Donoghue also chipping in with three points (one mark), the other scores coming from Diarmuid O'Connor (who started in place of the named Kevin McLoughlin), Eoghan McLaughlin and James Carr.

Carr opened the scoring in the second half to put Mayo ahead but they remained scoreless for more than 20 minutes as Galway began to dominate, Shane Walsh wowing with his ability from the placed ball to help the visitors into a 1-12 to 0-10 advantage.

O'Connor stopped the Mayo rot with a free from distance but Paul Conway cancelled it out with a great score following incredible work from the industrious Damien Comer, and it looked as though Galway were home and hosed when Heaney put them 1-14 to 0-11 ahead with just five minutes remaining.

But Mayo, who had by now lost Oisin Mullin to injury, weren't out of it. Inspired by a wonderful Lee Keegan point, they piled on the pressure and landed four more without reply through O'Connor (two frees), O'Donoghue and substitute Kevin McLoughlin before the five minutes of injury time ran out.

Mayo now go into the All-Ireland qualifiers while Galway have a Connacht SFC semi-final against Leitrim to look forward to.

Mayo: R. Byrne; L. Keegan (0-1), O. Mullin, P. O’Hora; S. Coen, M. Plunkett; E. McLaughlin (0-1); A. O’Shea, M. Ruane; D. O'Connor (0-1), R. O’Donoghue (0-4), C. Loftus; J. Carr (0-2), J. Doherty, C. O'Connor (0-6).

Subs used: E. Hession, K. McLoughlin (0-1), D. McHale, A. Orme, J. Carney.

Galway: C. Gleeson; L. Silke, S. Kelly, J. Glynn; D. McHugh, J. Daly, K. Molloy (0-1); P. Conroy (0-3), M. Tierney; F. Ó Laoí, N. Daly (0-1), J. Heaney (1-1); R. Finnerty (0-1), D. Comer (0-1), S. Walsh (0-5).

Subs used: C. McDaid (0-1), Patrick Kelly, Paul Kelly, D. Conneely, J. McGrath.

*See Tuesday's print edition for a full report on the big game