O’Donoghue and O’Connor help Mayo frustrate Galway late on
EQUALISER: Ryan O'Donoghue of Mayo with a ripped jersey during the Allianz Football League Division 1 match against Galway at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Castlebar, Mayo. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Mayo's marque man and his heir apparent. Staring down the barrel with the final whistle about to ring, Ryan O’Donoghue summoned a stunning equaliser to leave the furious neighbours sharing the points in a MacHale Park humdinger.
Cillian O’Connor had already sprung from the bench to put an end to a string of wides and draw level but a Damien Comer free had Galway ahead once again. There was time for one final play as O’Donoghue made up for an earlier wide to gather a poor Cathal Sweeney clearance and convert.
“Look, we are just frustrated with a few decisions,” said Padriac Joyce post-match. “It is the first league game; I am very proud of the fellas. Probably overall a draw is the fair result. We were a point up and five minutes of injury time were up, played a sixth one. No complaints but we do feel a bit aggrieved we didn’t win the game. That is a good sign, not happy with a draw in Castlebar.”
“This is what we live for,” declared Kevin McStay in his match programme piece. Two hours before curtain call and there was already a queue out front. In fact, there was two. One for the gates and one for the programmes. If enthusiasm could be bottled, the 13,654 in Castlebar would have filled a tanker.
“This is Mayo. This is what we do,” said McStay. “This is what we love doing. We are up and at it again. There was a young group of men out there that they should be happy to follow, they are going to give them lots of good evenings like this.”
In defence, Moycullen’s Neil Mulcahy and Eoghan Kelly made their debut, as did Salthill Knocknacarra’s Daniel O’Flaherty. At the other end, Dessie Conneely and Damien Comer were kept close to goal with David McBrien, a late change before throw-in, charged with marking the target man.
Paul Conroy found joy with an early long ball that Comer curled over for the first score of the day.
Mayo had cause to roar in response when a superb James Carr solo goal crashed in off the crossbar. Matthew Tierney flicked in a short Johnny Heaney moments later to raise the volume even further. By half-time the margin was just two.
Robert Finnerty departed due to an ankle injury suffered in a tackle after his score. Joyce said it was the same ankle he injured in the 2021 Connacht final. On the return of Kilmacud’s Shane Walsh, he will be away “three or four weeks at least.” 11 seconds after the turnaround Matthew Ruane cut the gap to the minimum.
An O’Donoghue free and Diarmuid O’Connor point from range flipped the game. 18 minutes without a score, Galway needed a lift. Their captain and leader Seán Kelly stood up to provide it with a trademark burst from deep and goal.
After a collision with Kelly, Ruane was then sent to the line for ten minutes in one of three black card incidents. Eoghan Kelly picked up one in the first half. Cillian McDaid went the same way after pulling down Aidan O’Shea in the 62 minute.
With the stewards falling into their after-match positions, Peter Cooke marked his return with an outstanding free off the ground from outside the 45 to put them one ahead.
After misses by O’Donoghue and Eoghan McLaughlin, O’Connor came off the bench to slot a much-needed equaliser. They stood toe-to-toe, going punch for punch until the closing bell.
“We’d a lot of young lads out there today against quite an experienced opposition, and they all stood up to their full height. No one went hiding. Everyone looking for the ball; everyone trying hard to do the right thing,” said McStay.
“I’m happy right to the end that we were in that game. There was never a sense that Galway were home and out the gap. Our team never walked away from it.” : R O’Donoghue (0-6, 4f), J Carr (1-0), J Flynn, M Ruane, D O’Connor 0-1, B Tuohy 0-1, C O’Connor 0-1 (0-1 each).
M Tierney (1-0), S Kelly (1-0), D Comer (0-3, 1m, 1f), C McDaid, P Kelly, R Finnerty, P Conroy, Peter Cooke (free) (0-1 each).
: C Reape; J Coyne, D McBrien, R Brickenden; E Hession; C Loftus, S Coen (C); M Ruane, D O’Connor; B Tuohy, J Carney, J Flynn; A Orme, J Carr, R O’Donoghue.
: A O’Shea for Orme (51), E McLaughlin for O’Connor (51), K McLaughlin for Carney (54), C O’Connor for Carr (64), P Towey for Tuohy (75).
: C Gleeson; E Kelly, S Kelly (C), N Mulcahy; D McHugh, J Daly, D O’Flaherty; P Conroy, C McDaid; P Kelly, M Tierney, J Heaney; R Finnerty, D Comer, D Conneely.
: P Cooke for Finnerty (25), C Sweeney for P Kelly (43), E Finnerty for Conneely (49), J Glynn for O’Flaherty (59) G Davoren for Tierney (64).
: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)
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