Goals galore as Niall Hurley leads Mayo minors past Kildare

The Connacht champions looked set to run out easy winners when they led by 11 points after 54 minutes, but the Lilywhites came roaring back into contention with late goals, setting up a grandstand finish.

Galway’s Tomas Farthing and Niall Hurley of Mayo. ©INPHO/James Crombie

Mayo 3-18 Kildare 3-12 

THIS All-Ireland Minor football championship quarter-final ended in a welter of excitement as Mayo withstood a late Kildare rally at O’Connor Park in Tullamore.

The Connacht champions looked set to run out easy winners when they led by 11 points after 54 minutes, but the Lilywhites came roaring back into contention with late goals from Eoin Cully and Ben Loakman (penalty) setting up a grandstand finish.

There were just four points between the sides heading into additional time, but Mayo tacked on late scores from man of the match Niall Hurley (mark) and Ronan Clarke (free) to seal a deserved victory.

Despite playing against a very strong breeze, Mayo led at half-time by 3-5 to 1-7.

Kildare were rocked by a brilliant goal from Niall Hurley in the 14th minute but Kildare hit back with a well-taken goal from Ben Loakman in the 20th minute to go back in front.

The wind-assisted Lilywhites were leading by 1-6 to 1-5 in the closing stages but they were hit with a double-whammy when Mayo struck for two goals from Ronan Clarke and Niall Hurley in the space of a minute.

That propelled Mayo into a five points lead but Kildare replied with a terrific long-range effort from corner-back Ben Ryan, son of current Kildare senior manager, Glenn.

Mayo held out in the end to set up an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Kerry.

Mayo: D Dolan; R Mortimer, J MacMonagle, L Silke; L Maloney, C McHale, P Gilmore; J Keane, L Feeney (0-1); J Maheady (0-1), D Hurley (0-1), D Duffy; C Keaveney, R Clarke (1-6, 4fs), N Hurley (2-4, 1m).

Subs used: O Armstrong (0-4) for Keane (37); Z Collins (0-1) for Maheady (45); D Gallagher for D Hurley (51); S O’Dowd for Gallagher (55); C Kelly for McHale (67).

Kildare: F Quinn; N Cramer, E Lawlor, B Ryan (0-1); J McGuirk, J Harris, J Cunningham (0-2); R Sinkey (0-1), R Rainey; E Cully (1-4), B Loakman (2-2, 1-0pen, 1f), R Harris; E O’Briain, K Browne (0-1, 1f), C O’Sullivan.

Subs used: C O’Reilly for O’Sullivan (HT); DJ Percival (0-1) for Rainey (41); J Hanamy for Cunningham (45); D Hamill for Ryan (55); C Geraghty for Browne (55).

Referee: B Tiernan (Dublin)