McHale confident Mayo can avoid relegation after defeat to Cork

Mayo staged a terrific comeback against Cork at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park on Saturday afternoon in round three of the TG4 LGFA All-Ireland Senior Championship, but a 3-8 to 1-10 defeat puts them into a relegation battle with Leitrim in two weeks' time, writes John Melvin.

Manager Liam McHale said it was one of Mayo’s best performance since he took charge of the team two years ago.

“I thought our girls responded well when they went behind to a third Cork goal, which left them behind by seven points with eight minutes remaining,” said McHale, who feels his side has more improvement in them and can avoid relegation if they work on their finishing.

A draw would have done Mayo and at one stage that looked possible following a superb goal from Ann Gough that brought them to within three points of the visitors with five minutes remaining.

Gough turned provider a minute later with a high ball into the danger area that was deflected to the net by Clodagh Keane, but the referee had his hand up for a square ball just as quickly as the ball had hit the net.

Mayo kept battling away but Laura O’Mahoney spilt the posts for Cork to extend the lead to four points and it was the visitors who deservedly prevailed in the end, mainly due to their ability hit crucial points when they came under pressure.

The hosts trailed at half-time by 0-6 to 2-3, Cork’s Maire O’Callaghan scoring their opening goal after just 12 seconds when she won the ball from the throw-in and went straight down the middle to fire to the roof of the net.

Sinead Walsh kept Mayo ticking over, finishing with six points (five from frees), and she had Mayo on level terms by the 20th minute (0-5 to 1-2), but a second Cork goal from Katie Quirke, whose effort for a point dipped under the crossbar, gave Cork the initiative by half-time.

Mayo turned up the heat in the second half with a full court press when Cork were reduced to 14 players after a cynical foul on Sinead Walsh, who might well have got through for a goal, earned Shuna Cronin a yellow card, while there was also a suspicion of a foot block by a Cork player on Aoife Geraghty but Mayo didn’t get the call.

Despite Mayo’s high press, Cork were effective on the counter-attack and they punished Mayo for some slack defending, Aine O’Sullivan in particular stepping up to the plate with two big points before a long ball into the Mayo defence was allowed to bounce and the error proved critical, with Quirke nailing her second goal to making it 3-7 to 0-9, Gough with the Mayo goal which ensured an exciting finish but leaving Mayo in a battle for survival.

See Tuesday's print edition for a full report and reaction.