Close encounter for Mayo in Tubbercurry

Mayo opened their Dalata Connacht Under 20 Football Championship campaign with a two-point victory over Sligo, winning 0-17 to 0-15 in Kilcoyne Park, Tubbercurry, writes Brian Gillespie.

The game could have gone either way as the teams were level (0-15 each) going into the final five minutes but Mayo finished strongly, two points from Darragh Beirne in the closing stages proving the difference in the end.

Beirne was Mayo's top scorer on five (four frees) while captain Colm Lynch was an all-action figure throughout, but the game's standout player was Sligo's Eli Rooney, who finished with a tally of 12, including three two-point frees.

The Yeats County were also very well served by James Lavin, Alex Lillie, Cian Nicholson and Aaron Lang as they pushed the visitors every step of the way.

Kobe McDonald had a quiet game by his standards, though did score a memorable point in the second half at a time when Mayo needed some inspiration.

Mayo made a tentative start but a two-pointer from the lively Oisín Deane on 14 minutes started a run of seven points without reply, and it left them looking good on an 0-9 to 0-3 lead with eight minutes left in the half.

But the hosts rallied and landed four of the final five points of the half to cut Mayo's advantage three at the break (0-10 to 0-7).

Mayo went five points ahead (0-13 to 0-8) in the opening nine minutes of the second half but again Sligo rallied, Rooney's frees keeping them in the contest right up to the closing minutes.

The visitors were just a point ahead in injury time (0-16 to 0-15) when Rooney had a chance to put Sligo ahead for the first time since the opening minutes. The two-point free attempt was from a long distance out and fell short, however.

With possession, Mayo put together a patient move that ended with Beirne splitting the posts, and that was enough for his team to secure a hard-fought victory.

Manager Keith Higgins praised the 'grit' shown by his team when the pressure came on late in the contest.

He added: “We're never going to doubt the qualities that's in that dressing room. I suppose it's just getting them maybe game smarts. Look, they're young, they learn – that's the point of this competition, I suppose.”

And things to work on? “I think we conceded an awful lot of scores from frees. That's a big area for us to work on. The first round is always going to be those bits and pieces that you're trying to figure out about your team. You know, you can play all the challenge games you want but ultimately, you find more about lads out there than you will in the challenge games.”

Sligo: G. Cummins; J. McHugh, P. Brady, J. Lavin; E. Keane, A. Lillie, O. Harte; C. Walsh, C. Gilligan; E. O'Mahony (0-1), M. Carroll, C. Nicholson (0-1); A. Lang, D. Mostyn, E. Rooney (0-12, 3tpf, 3f).

Subs used: L. Higgins (temp), M. Walsh (0-1), P. Flynn, O. Devlin, A. Feeney.

Mayo: C. Meaney; J. Lavelle (0-1), T. Lambert, A. Coggins; C. Lynch (0-1), R. Mortimer, T. Tuffy; S. Cunningham (0-1), A. Quinn; O. Deane (0-3, 1tp), K. McDonald (0-2, 1 45), D. Flynn; D. Beirne (0-5, 4f), J. Holmes, T. Lydon (0-4, 1f).

Subs used: Y. Coghill, J. Moyles, J. Carey.

Referee: A. Clogher (Roscommon).