Galway 3-14
Mayo 1-3
GALWAY BOOKED THEIR place in this year’s Connacht Minor Football final with a devastating display of football in Castlebar on Saturday evening.
They ripped through the Mayo defence at will and ran out 17 point winners at a canter against an opposition who never got to grips with Stephen Joyce’s men.
Galway were in free-flowing form in the first half going in leading by 0-12 to 1-0, thanks to a powerful display from their midfield pairing of Colm Ó’Baonain and Cillian McDaid.
Their half-forward line also caused Mayo serious damage with Eric Lee and Conor Marsden giving their men the run around.
Lee opened the scoring a minute in with a well taken point, but Mayo found themselves in front five minutes later when Liam Byrne pulled on the loose ball on the deck to rustle the back of the net.
But that was as good as it got for the hosts in the opening 30 minutes with Galway kicking 11 points without reply, with McDaid and Lee the main marksmen kicking four points each.
Mayo did kick the first score of the second half through Gerry Canavan five minutes in, but two goals in the space of as many minutes from Galway danger man Conor Marsden ended any hopes of a Mayo comeback.
Finnian Ó’Laoi’s goal six minutes later rubbed salt in the Mayo wounds as Galway began to toy with their opponents.
They even missed a penalty when Sean Kelly was thwarted by substitute goalkeeper Paul Walsh in what was his first involvement after Patrick O’Malley received a black card for the concession of the spot kick.
Scores for Mayo: Liam Byrne 1-1, Gerry Canavan 0-1, Dylan Cannon 0-1.
Scores for Galway: Conor Marsden 2-3 (2f), Cillian McDaid 0-4 (1F), Eric Lee 0-5 (2f, 1 45’), Finian Ó’Laoi 1-0, C Ryan 0-1, C Ó’Braonain 0-1.
Mayo
1. Patrick O’Malley (Westport)
2. Donovan Cosgrove (Kiltimagh)
3. Tommie Keane (Mayo Gaels)
4. John Maughan (Castlebar Mitchels)
5. Paul Lambert (Westport)
6. Rhyne Collins (Castlebar Mitchels)
7. Dylan Cannon (Breaffy)
8. Barry Duffy (Balla)
18. Jonathon Burke (Swinford)
19. Darren Quinn (Garrymore)
11. James Lyons (Aghamore)
12. Ross Egan (Aghamore)
13. Liam Byrne (Moy Davitts)
14. James Carr (Ardagh)
15. Gerry Canavan
Subs
20. Jack Irwin (Ballina) for Barry Duffy (18)
17. Cormac Reape (Knockmore) for Paul Lambert (23)
22. Colm Moran (Westport) for Darren Quinn (40)
9. David Hanley (Brrishoole) for James Lyons (43)
16. Paul Walsh (Breaffy) for Patrick O’Malley (51 Black Card)
23. Kevin Quinn (Ballinrobe) for Ross Egan (55)
Galway
1. Ronán Ó Beoláin (Micheál Breathnach)
2. Caelom Mulry (Moinvea- Abbey)
3. Dylan McHugh (Corofin)
4. Ian Kent (Barna)
5. Sean Kelly (Moycullen)
6. Liam Kelly (Spidal)
7. John Daly(Mountbellew-Moylough)
8. Colm Brennan (Arran Islands
9. Cillian McDaid (Craughwell)
10. Eric Lee (Oughterard)
11. Conor Marsden (Kilconly)
12. Finian Ó Laoi (Spidal)
13. Colin Ryan (Mountbellew-Moylough)
14. Michael Boyle (Killererin)
15. Ryan Forde (Annaghdown)
Subs
20. Ciaran Brady (Corofin) for Colin Ryan (36)
21. Patrick O’Donnell (Aran Islands) for Finnian O’Laoi (50)
22. Barry Goldrick (Claregalway) for Ryan Forde (56)
17. Eamon McDonagh (Barna) for Ian Kent (57)
18. Henry O’Toole (Clifden) for John Daly (60)
Referee: John Gilmartin (Sligo)