Hello and welcome to tonight’s GAA liveblog where we will be covering the Connacht football semi-final between Mayo and Galway.
Reigning champions Mayo are heavy favourites to prevail in Castlebar but Galway boss Kevin Walsh is a widely-respected manager, does he have something up his sleeve to pull off a shock win?
The action gets under way at 7pm in MacHale Park and is live on Sky Sports 3.
As usual, feel free to get in touch with us via Facebook, Twitter or email alan@the42.ie.
Here is a reminder of tonight’s teams:
Mayo
1. Robbie Hennelly (Breaffy)
2. Brendan Harrison (Aghamore)
3. Kevin Keane (Westport)
4. Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis)
5. Lee Keegan (Westport)
6. Colm Boyle (Davitts)
7. Patrick Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels)
8. Tom Parsons (Charlestown)
9. Jason Gibbons (Ballintubber)
10. Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore)
11. Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy)
12. Jason Doherty (Burrishoole)
13. Evan Regan (Ballina Stephenites)
14. Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber, captain)
15. Conor O’Shea (Breaffy)
Galway
1. Bernard Power (Corofin)
2. Eoghan Kerin (Annaghdown)
3. Declan Kyne (Clonbur)
4. David Wynne (Moycullen)
5. Liam Silke (Corofin)
6. Gary O Donnell (Tuam Stars)
7. Gareth Bradshaw (Moycullen)
8. Paul Conroy (St. James’)
9 Thomas Flynn (Athenry)
10. Gary Sice (Corofin)
11. Shane Walsh (Kilkerrin-Clonberne)
12. Johnny Heaney (Killannin)
13. Eamonn Brannigan (St Michaels)
14. Damien Comer (Annaghdown)
15. Danny Cummins (Claregalway)
So that’s five debutants for Galway – Bernard Power, Eoghan Kerin, David Wynne, Johnny Heaney and Eamonn Brannigan. Can their inexperienced defence deal with a wily, and at times lethal, Mayo forward line containing Aidan O’Shea and Cillian O’Connor?
Mayo, who are going for their sixth successive provincial crown, have made one change; Tom Parsons comes in to start at midfield with All-Ireland U21 winning captain Stephen Coen missing out.
It’s Galway’s first outing of this year’s championship while Mayo have already had a routine win against London.
Stephen Rochford coaches Mayo for just the second time in the championship and he, of course, is a man who knows Galway football very well having previously managed Corofin to All-Ireland club glory.
In terms of league form, neither side had particularly memorable campaigns.
Mayo recovered from a sluggish start to preserve their status in the top flight while the Tribesmen won two, drew three and lost two in Division 2.
It may seem that there is a big divide between the sides these days but Galway-Mayo is one of the special GAA rivalries. And that means form is often not such a pivotal factor. This is deeper, it’s tribal.
In today’s other games there was disappointment for Kieran McGeeney as his Armagh side were dumped out of this year’s championship by Laois.
Elsewhere, a strong second-half showing from Derry saw them overcome Louth by 1-18 to 2-10.
It’s a mucky, wet day in Castlebar. This mightn’t be pretty folks. Just 10 minutes away from throw-in, time to get the predictions in.
One change to the Mayo team:
Less than five minutes until throw-in and there is an excellent crowd in Castlebar desperate for a good results after a tough, aul’ day for Irish sports fans.
Into Amhrán na bhFiann now.
And we’re under way in Castlebar.
Great start from Galway, Danny Cummins nearly got on the end of a delivery that dropped short. Looked a certain goal if he had got a touch on it.
Comer sends the resultant 45 wide.
Galway have started on the front foot, Mayo still not really at the races.
Mayo 0-1 Galway 0-0
They’re peppering the Mayo square but so far Hennelly and Co have kept them at bay. The Tribesmen should really be ahead here.
But Cillian O’Connor is the first man to get his name of the scoresheet, converting a 45 after is original point effort was half-blocked wide.
That original O’Connor effort came from Aidan O’Shea winning a high ball. He is already causing Galway serious problems.
Galway are lacking a bit of composure on the ball, although to be fair the conditions are awful slippery.
It’s an athletic Galway side blessed with plenty of speed but they need to improve their decision making.
Mayo 0-1 Galway 0-1
Brannigan opens Galway’s account with an excellent score from play, cutting in from the left-hand side to slot it over from 25 metres out.
It looked like it may have been yet another Galway effort but Hennelly could only get a hand to it and help it over the bar.
Mayo 0-1 Galway 0-2
Gary Sice taps a free over with his left to put the visitors deservedly ahead.
Galway are set up well defensively and force O’Connor into shooting from way out the field. His effort squeezes wide of the posts.
Both sides are happy to concede short kick-outs to the opposition. This could be a pretty scrappy affair.
Galway are struggling under the high ball, this time it’s Regan who wins it well. But Mayo are struggling to recycle the ball quickly enough to generate easy point-scoring opportunities.
The Tribesmen seem intent on pinging balls in and around the square which seems like an odd tactic when you consider how quick some of their forwards are.
Both sides have been guilty of some sloppy wides so far, a disappointing spectacle to date.
This shooting is becoming difficult to watch, Bradshaw the latest man to fire well wide of the posts.
Jason Gibbons looks like he is going to be replaced by Seamus O’Shea, after picking up what looks like a shoulder injury.
Gibbons is being taken off the field on a stretcher, it looks like a fairly serious one, a collarbone injury we are being told.
Mayo 0-1 Galway 0-3
Sice with a brilliant score from play, about time says you.
Mayo 0-2 Galway 0-3
O’Connor closes the gap to one with a free at the other end.
Mayo have changed it up, going man to man now, forcing Galway to go long on their kickouts. It’s probably not a bad strategy when you consider the quality Mayo fielders around the middle of the park.
Mayo 0-2 Galway 0-4
A superb score by the talented Walsh. We needed that, this hasn’t been pretty.
Mayo 0-2 Galway 0-5
Paul Conroy is competing very well in the middle of the field for Galway, He wins the kickout and that eventually leads to Heaney fizzing a shot at Hennelly’s goal. But the Mayo stopper somehow steers it over the bar.
Mayo 0-3 Galway 0-5
Mayo finally get a score from play and it comes from the energetic centre-back Colm Boyle. They needed that.
Mayo 0-4 Galway 0-5
McLoughlin is heavily involved in an excellent Mayo move, starting it in his own half before getting on the ball again just 30m from the Galway goal.
He then picks out Parsons with a fist pass and the midfielder makes no mistake.
Mayo 0-5 Galway 0-5
Wow — that is special from O’Connor. He booms a free over from wide on the 45m line. He levels proceedings with five mins of added time to be played.
Mayo 0-7 Galway 0-5
Mayo have finally woken up Lee Keegan, who has been very quite by his standards so far today, fires over from the right wing.
Coen adds another from play only moments later.
That’s five in a row from Mayo.
Mayo 0-8 Galway 0-6
Thankfully this game has come to life. It took long enough but it’s now raining points from play. First, Brannigan squeezes a ball inside Hennelly’s post but only moments later Doherty replies for the home side.
HT: Mayo 0-8 Galway 0-6
Mayo were probably lucky Galway weren’t more clinical early on. Their change of tactics about 10 minutes before the interval completely changed the flow of this game.
Kevin Walsh will have to re-adjust his tactics now if Galway are to stay in touch with Mayo, because since this game went man-on-man, the champions have been very dominant.
We’re back under way in Castlebar.
Mayo 0-9 Galway 0-6
O’Connor points from a free after Regan was fouled by Sice. Great start to the second half for Mayo.
Galway are struggling to win their own kickouts now that they are being forced to go long.
Galway are insisting on going to the edge of the square with long deliveries — you’d like to see them utilise the pace of their forwards a bit more. It’s a daft tactic that they are getting little change from.
Mayo 0-9 Galway 0-7
Brannigan gets his third from play, a serious debut so far from the St Michael’s man.
Galway are having their best spell of the game in quite some time. They play some nice football when they get going, they’re just not being cute enough in possession.
You get the sense that the next few minutes are going to be vital in terms of the outcome of this game. There has been plenty of ebbing and flowing early in the second half, Galway really need to wrestle back control.
Donal Vaughan has come on as a blood sub for Boyle.
Mayo 0-10 Galway 0-7
Regan makes it a three-point game from a free.
Boyle is back on for Mayo too.
Mayo 0-11 Galway 0-7
Galway are giving away too many easy frees, especially when Mayo have the luxury of calling on O’Connor and Regan, depending on where the foul has occurred. O’Connor gets his fifth of the day after Regan was brought down.
Mayo are starting to turn the screw.
Mayo 0-11 Galway 0-8
Good score from Sice, he points from a free to make it a three-point game.
Mayo 0-11 Galway 1-8
Mayo 0-11 Galway 1-10
Galway push up on the Mayo kickout and it pays dividends straight away, Flynn fires to the net after an excellent run, although he seemed to take quite a few steps.
Conroy rubs salt in the wounds with an excellent score from play and Cummins does the same just moments later. Game on in Castlebar.
Mayo call on Diarmuid O’Connor and Vaughan with Harrison and Keane those to be withdrawn.
Mayo 0-11 Galway 1-11
Lee Keegan has been put in at full-back and he is tested straight away by Comer. He draws a free and Sice makes no mistake. What a turnaround.
Galway are fighting for their lives and Mayo are looking panicked. This is gripping.
Five mins to go and Galway need to keep the heads. Still plenty of football left in this.
Mayo 0-11 Galway 1-12
Absolutely majestic from Conroy. He fields Power’s kickout and pops it over with his right. Best player on the field today for my money.
GOAL CHANCE but Power gets a fist to O’Connor’s sideline that lands on top of the square. Less than one minute of normal time to play.
Flynn gets a black card as we head into injury time. Probably a smart move by the midfielder.
Mayo 0-12 Galway 1-12
O’Connor tags on another free. Two mins of additional time to play.
FT: Mayo 0-12 Galway 1-12
What a result for Galway, Kevin Walsh pulls off a miracle and stop Mayo’s run for six.
Match report and reaction to follow.
Thank for joining us for that epic contest, never mind the wavering quality.
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