O'Donoghue keeps Mayo ticking but spirited Leitrim give McStay a bit to ponder

The overwhelming favourites got the job done in Carrick-on-Shannon with seven points to spare, winning 0-20 to 0-13 to secure a spot in the Connacht final 

WET AND WILD: Leitrim’s Keith Keegan and Barry McNulty and Mayo’s Enda Hession during the Connacht GAA Senior Football Championship Semi-Final, Avant Money Pairc Sean MacDiarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim 19/4/2025. Pic: NPHO/Evan Logan

Connacht SFC: Leitrim 0-13 Mayo 0-20

Ryan O'Donoghue hit nine points as Mayo moved into a Connacht SFC Final but Kevin McStay was again provided with plenty to ponder about his side's performance. 

The overwhelming favourites got the job done in Carrick-on-Shannon with seven points to spare, winning 0-20 to 0-13. But in the first half in particular Mayo failed to find the fluency which had also evaded them last time out when they squeezed by Sligo with three points to spare. 

On Saturday evening at Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, Mayo were never ultimately in trouble thanks in part to a scoring burst after the break. But equally they entered the last ten minutes with the spirited hosts having closed the gap to just four. 

Another one for the scrapbook - @LeitrimGAA's Tom Prior splits the posts with a tidy score 👌

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This followed from an opening half where McStay's men were particularly disjointed, the challenging conditions doing little to help. The halftime advantage was just a single point, 0-7 to 0-8. For a Leitrim side which hadn't won a game yet this calendar year and controversially had to forfeit a Division 3 clash with Fermanagh due to a lack of players it was impressive stuff, Tom Prior and Barry McNulty among a handful of excellent performers in yellow and green. 

Jack Carney and Mayo goalkeeper Colm Reape took some of the scoring burden off O'Donoghue but having scored 1-4 against Sligo in the provincial opener, the Belmullet man stayed hot, accounting for almost half of the Mayo total as they eased home, scoring the game's final three points with substitute Paul Towey providing some much-needed impetus too. 

The winners of Sunday's second semi-final between Roscommon and Galway will await but Mayo may well have some work of their own still to do.

Scorers for Leitrim: B McNulty 0- 8 (2 2pfs, 1 2p), D Cox 0-2, T Prior 0-2, R O'Rourke 0-1f 

Scorers for Mayo: R O'Donoghue 0-9 (5fs), J Carney 0-2, P Towey 0-2, J Flynn 0-2, A O'Shea 0-1m, M Ruane 0-1, C Reape 0-1 (45), S Coen 0-1, D McHale 0-1 

Leitrim: D O'Shea; K Clancy, D Casey, É McNamara; J Rooney, M Diffley, J Foley; B McNulty, C McGloin; J Flynn, K Keegan, B Guckian; D Cox, R O'Rourke, T Prior Subs: J McGlion for Flynn (45 temporary), P Keane for Guckian (53), J Flynn for McGlion (54 temporary return), P Honeyman for Keegan (59), T Hughes for Casey (65), J McGlion for Keane (68, inj) 

Mayo: C Reape; J Coyne, D McHugh, E Hession; S Callinan, D McBrien, S Coen; D Thornton, M Ruane; D Neary, D McHale, J Flynn; J Carney, A O'Shea, R O'Donoghue Subs: D O'Connor for Neary (ht), S Akram for Callinan (ht), E McLaughlin for Ruane (ht), P Towey for McHale (51), F Irwin for Coen (66) 

Ref: Niall Cullen (Fermanagh)