Mayo FC sign off FAI National League season with 4-1 loss

MAYO FC ended their truncated FAI National League campaign with a 4-1 defeat to St Francis in Dublin, a result that leaves them in mid-table after a mixed season.

Missing out on the knockout round was a disappointment, but there were learnings aplenty from the shortened campaign.

Mayo pressed and dominated possession early on, but an injury to captain Noé Baba on four minutes disrupted them, with Conor McCarthy coming on in his place.

Rory Garvey twice went close for the hosts, with Arran Boyle saving at his near post on 12 and 28 minutes.

The Mayo keeper came to the rescue again with his toes to deny Daniel Hickey in a one-on-one.

Then came a goal to savour on 33 minutes.

Aidan Coyle controlled superbly, took it on the volley and picked out McCarthy, who beat the last man and was never going to miss.

The visitors lead.

It lasted just ten minutes.

Gary Armstrong turned a drilled Garvey cross into his own net to level it.

Chaos followed before the break. McCarthy was sent off for a challenge deemed to be slightly over the ball, and Baba, watching from the sideline, was also shown red card for his protests.

Aron Heaney had also hobbled off injured earlier in the half.

Manager Anthony O’Neill has been clear about his desire to bulk up his squad ahead of next years campaign, and with injuries and suspensions aplenty, his options looked more than threadbare.

Sean McAteer and James McAteer deputised at centre half throughout, while Coyle, normally a midfielder, was deployed at right-back.

Mayo emerged at John Hyland Park a man down and reshaped as a 4-4-1, and fell behind early in the second half when James McGrath fouled Conor Behan in the box.

Behan stood up himself and sent Boyle the wrong way from the spot.

St Francis centre half Séamus Curley ended the contest on 66 minutes, blasting home after a Zach Donohoe volley dropped into the box to make it 3-1.

Armstrong and Ben Edeh both tried their luck from distance late on, but neither troubled the target.

Eighteen-year-old Daviti Tsikarishvili made his senior Mayo FC debut, before Jack Savage added the fourth in injury time for the hosts.

Full match report and reaction to follow inside Tuesday's edition of the Connaught Telegraph