O’Shea the hero as Mayo hold off Sligo sprint finish
Aidan O'Shea scored 1-2 for Mayo in their Connacht SFC quarter-final victory over Sligo. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
IN the end there was just a kick of a ball between the sides and Mayo drew a huge sigh of relief when the final whistle sounded in front of 9,179 sun-splashed spectators. Mayo were left hanging on in the end as the quickly-closing Sligo hunted for a famous result in a venue where their last victory over the home side was recorded in 1975.
Mayo boss Kevin McStay said his side had produced a “patchy performance and huge improvements were needed”.
“This is the championship you have to win, you don’t get to the semi-final unless you win the quarter final. We don’t prepare by saying 'by the way lads Sligo are Division 3 so nice and cagey, go for a bottle of wine or something.' Everybody demands and deserves respect."
Mayo led 1-4 to 0-2 after 19 minutes thanks to points from the energetic Davitt Neary, best player on the pitch Aidan O'Shea (2), and Darren McHale. The goal had arrived after just six minutes when a long kick-out from Colm Reape was fielded by Neary before McHale sent O'Donoghue through to shake the net.
Poor passes and unforced errors halted Mayo's gallop and points from Niall Murphy, Pat Spillane and Alan McLoughlin left them well in touch at the interval, three adrift, 0-8 to 1-8.
Mayo were much improved after the break and O'Shea hit the net after 37 minutes when David McBrien sent an excellent delivery into the mixer and Carney slipped O'Shea in for the three-pointer.
Sligo were soon seven behind but they powered back with a goal from wing-back Luke Towey.
A Mayo surge at the start of the final quarter pushed the gap out to nine and it looked all over with 13 minutes to play but Sligo were having none of it. Murphy kicked a point and then Lally left Mayo men flailing when he danced through for a goal.
O'Donoghue and Boland moved Mayo seven clear again with six minutes to play but Sligo finished like a train. Oisin Flynn kicked a point, Alan McLoughlin landed a two-pointer and when Murphy raised another orange flag, there was only a goal between them. In truth, Murphy's two-pointer was kicked from well inside the arc, but the referee awarded it and that left just a goal between them.
Possession from the last kick-out of the game was of paramount importance and when Colm Reape drove it out the middle, O'Shea rose through a crowd to pluck it from the sky and secure a hard-earned win for the home side.
“While today is a defeat, we can look at it, learn and grow," said Sligo manager Tony McEntee.
"And while disappointed now, we will get over it quickly. We didn’t throw in the towel, like previous years against Mayo.
“We’re going to take ten days off and regroup for the Tailteann Cup. We want to win something."
Ryan O'Donoghhue 1-4 (0-4f), Aidan O'Shea 1-2, Darren McHale 0-4, Jack Carney 0-3, Fergal Boland 0-2, Davitt Neary 0-1, Matthew Ruane 0-1, Dylan Thornton 0-1, Enda Hession 0-1, Conal Dawson 0-1
Niall Murphy 0-7, (1f, 1 2pt), Alan McLoughlin 0-5 (1f, 1 2pt), Cian Lally 1-1, Luke Towey 1-0, Pat Spillane 0-2, David Quinn 0-1, Oisin Flynn 0-1
Colm Reape; Jack Coyne, Donnacha McHugh, Sam Callinan; Enda Hession, David McBrien, Stephen Coen; Dylan Thornton, Matthew Ruane; Davitt Neary, Darren McHale, Fenton Kelly; Jack Carney, Aidan O'Shea, Ryan O'Donoghue Subs used; Diarmuid O'Connor for Ruane (43), Fergal Boland for Kelly (52), Niall Vcoggins for Neary (57), Sean Morahan for McHugh (57), Conal Dawson for Hession (61), Paul Towey for Thornton (66)
Daniel Lyons; Evan Lyons, Eddie McGuinness, Paul McNamara; Brian Cox, Nathan Mullen, Luke Towey; Canice Mulligan, Patrick O'Connor; Cian Lally, David Quinn, Alan Reilly; Alan McLoughlin, Niall Murphy, Pat Spillane Subs used; Ross Doherty for Quinn (45), Shane Deignan for Spillane (61), Lee Deignan for McNamara (61), Oisin Flynn for Reilly (62), Mikey Gordon for O'Connor (65)
Noel Mooney (Cavan)
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