Galway 0-15
Mayo 0-9
Colm Gannon reports from Hyde Park
AT THE THIRD time of asking this year Galway delivered when it mattered most against Mayo, claiming the All Ireland minor title in impressive style in front of 12,789 spectators in Dr Hyde Park.
Mayo had beaten Galway twice in the Connacht championship, but the young Tribesmen ensured there was no hat-trick.
The game started in a bluster with both sides having chances to rattle the back of the net before three minutes had gone on the clock.
Ross Coen and Stephen Curley had half chances to get in behind the Mayo defence, but ran the ball over the line. While Mayo’s Niall Hurley was played through by Jack Keane but saw his effort well saved by Kyle Gilmore.
Galway went into a 0-2 to 0-0 lead by the eighth minute thanks to two frees from Éanna Monaghan. Mayo had it level three minutes later courtesy of points from Cathal Keavney from a free and a James Maheady effort from play.
Monaghan got his third of the day from a close-range free after he had been fouled in the D to edge Galway back in front. Ronan Clarke then launched over a leveller from well out the park.
The Galway full forward got a first point from play just before the quarter hour mark to keep his side motoring, but two long-range efforts from either side of the field pushed Mayo into the lead for the first time off the boot of James Maheady.
Galway levelled it up once more on the 20 minute mark when Fionn O’Connor pointed after a goal bound effort from Colm Costello was blocked by the Mayo defence. Costello then got in on the action to raise the white flag not long after to have Galway one clear again.
Ronan Clarke cut in along the end line for Mayo and fired an effort goal wards that was blocked off the line by Ryan Flaherty and the Mayo man put his rebound wide of the target.
The Tribesmen went back down the field from the kick-out and Stephen Curley pointed to put his team two the good. The lead was pushed out to three by Costello’s second of the day with 25 minutes gone on the clock.
Mayo cut the gap back to two thanks to a point from Colm McHale after some patient play – but they were lucky to go in at the break just two down as Monaghan had a great chance to fire the ball to the back of the net, but his effort flew wide of the right hand post.
Galway kept the pace up after the break clipping three points on the bounce inside the opening seven minutes though Shay McGlinchey and a Costello brace. Costello’s second point in this run could have easily been a goal if he had kept his effort down.
Ronan Clarke pulled one back for Mayo with a speculative effort after a run of wides looked to have stymied any chance they had of getting back into the game. He followed that up with a well taken free to cut the gap back to three with a quarter of an hour left in the game.
Galway survived a period of Mayo pressure and Cillian Trayers kicked a relieving point to stretch the lead back to four with 10 minutes to go.
They then went five clear through a Colm Costello free after Charlie Cox was fouled close in as he broke for goal, and Cox pushed his side six to the good with a press kick on 53 minutes.
Things got worse for Mayo as they were reduced to 14 players when Lorcan Slike was shown a black card and Stephen Curley pointed to push Galway into a 0-15 to 0-8 lead and home and hosed.
Scorers – Galway: Colm Costello (0-5, 2f), Éanna Monaghan (0-4, 3f), Stephen Curley (0-2), Shay McGlinchey (0-1), Cillian Trayers (0-1), Fionn O’Connor (0-1), Charlie Cox (0-1)
Mayo: Ronan Clarke (0-4, 2f), James Maheady (0-3), Colm McHale (0-1), Cathal Keaveney (0-1)
Galway
1. Kyle Gilmore (Seamroge Chortúin)
2. Tomás Farthing (An Spidéal)
3. Ryan Flaherty (Baile Chláir na Gaillimhe)
4. Vinny Gill (Corafinne)
5. Mark Mannion (Bóthar na Trá-Cnoc na Cathrach)
6. Cillian Trayers (Baile Chláir na Gaillimhe)
7. Ross Coen (Corafinne)
8. Jack Longeran (Baile Chláir na Gaillmhe)
9. Shay McGlinchey (Réalta Thuama)
10. Owen Morgan (Baile Chláir na Gaillimhe(
11. Seán Dunne (Bearna)
12. Stephen Curley (Anach Cuain)
13. Fionn O’Connor (An Spidéal)
14. Éanna Monaghan (Baile Chláir na Gaillimhe)
15. Colm Costello (An Dún Mór Mhic Éil)
Subs: 19. Charlie Cox (Magie Cuilinn) for O’Connor, 23. Olan Kelly (Anach Cuain) for Dunne, 18. Pádraic McNeela (Magie Cuilinn) for Mannion, 22. Luke Carr (Cill Áinnín) for Curley, 20. Cian Dolan (Muine Mheá-An Mhainistir) for Costello
Mayo
1. David Dolan (Balla)
2. Rio Mortimer (Claremorris)
3. John MacMonagle (Castlebar Mitchels)
4. Lorcan Slike (Westport)
5. Liam Maloney (Cill Chomain)
6. Colm McHale (Bohola Moy Davitts)
7. Paul Gilmore (Claremorris)
8. Jack Keane (Hollymount-Carramore)
9. Luke Feeney (Ballina Stephenites)
10. James Maheady (Crossmolina Deel Rovers)
11. Dara Hurley (Claremorris)
12. Diarmuid Duffy (Ballinrobe)
13. Cathal Keaveney (Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin)
14. Ronan Clarke (Bohola Moy Davitts)
15. Niall Hurley (Claremorris)
Subs: 19. Oliver Armstrong (Knockmore) for Dara Hurley, 21. Zac Collins (Islandeady) for Keaveney, 23. Oisin Cronin (Balla) for Maheady, 20. Dylan Gallagher (Davitts) for Keane, 24. Sean O’Dowd (Kilmovee Shamrocks) for Feeney.
Ref: Niall Cullen (Fermanagh)