Mayo 1-12
NUI Galway 1-10

Declan Rooney reports from Castlebar

STEPHEN ROCHFORD HAD Kevin McLoughlin to thank for his first win as Mayo manager after a spirited NUI Galway comeback was finally swatted aside at MacHale Park.

McLoughlin’s 42^nd minute goal had earlier looked to have given the Green and Red an easy win, but Adam Gallagher’s penalty for NUI Galway meant the home side needed two late frees from McLoughlin and Robert Hennelly to seal the FBD League win.

After a delay to the throw-in to allow the 2390 supporters gain admission, the opening action saw NUI Galway boss the Connacht champions, with Galway native Michael Daly heavily involved from centre-forward.

Daly laid on the opener for Eoin Finnerty, who cut in from the left wing to land a fine point after two minutes, and in the fourth minute Daly exchanged passes with his club-mate to score while off balance.

NUI Galway continued their bright start and took a 0-3 to 0-0 lead in the sixth minute when Sligo inter-county player Criostoir Davey made the most of his chance when handed the freedom of MacHale Park.

But the expected surge from the home side coincided with Tom Parsons and Jason Gibbins gaining a foothold at midfield. Crossmolina clubman Conor Loftus kicked the first score of the Rochford era following a quick free from Kevin McLoughlin and he added a free in the 10^th minute to make it 0-3 to 0-2.

McLoughlin has been a leading light for the last couple of Mayo managers and he started this season brightly too. A couple of frees from the Knockmore forward opened Mayo’s lead out to 0-5 to 0-3, but in the closing six minutes of the half, the students were the more impressive.

Rochford would have been keen to see how one of his likely panellists, Adam Gallagher, fared with his college, and he would have been secretly delighted to see Gallagher land three of the last four points of the half.

A long-range punt from Peter Cooke helped NUI Galway to hold a 0-7 to 0-6 lead at the interval and Gallagher’s fourth score of the game six minutes after the restart pushed that lead out to two points.

But their inter-county opponents took total control, and a free from McLoughlin was added to by Mark Ronaldson – McLoughlin was heavily involved in the build-up again – which levelled the scores.

But Mayo struck the game’s first goal when McLoughlin intercepted a handpass out of the NUI Galway defence and rattled the net in the 42^nd minute. Two quick points from Colm Boyle and Lotfus gave Mayo a five-point lead and what looked to be a certain win, but instead the unlikely NUI Galway comeback ensued.

Midfielders Conor O’Shea and Cooke landed impressive points to cut the deficit to three points, and after Brendan Harrison fouled Daly inside the rectangle, Gallagher converted the penalty to level the game at 1-10 each.

But Mayo showed admirable calmness in the final minutes and after McLoughlin pushed them ahead with a free, goalkeeper Hennelly landed his first from the wing to give Mayo the two-point win.

Scorers for Mayo: K McLoughlin 1-4 (4f), C Loftus 0-3 (2f), J Doherty 0-1, D McHale 0-1, C Boyle 0-1, M Ronaldson 0-1, R Hennelly 0-1 (1f).

Scorers for NUI Galway: A Gallagher 1-4 (1-0 pen, 2f), P Cooke 0-2 (1f), M Daly 0-1, E Finnerty 0-1, C Davey 0-1, C O’Shea 0-1.

Mayo

1 Robert Hennelly (Breaffy)

2 Brendan Harrison (Aghamore)

3 Kevin Keane (Westport)

4 Padraig O’Hora (Ballina Stephenites)

5 Colm Boyle (Davitts)

6 Shane McHale (Knockmore)

7 Shane Nally (Garrymore)

8 Jason Gibbons (Ballintubber)

9 Tom Parsons (Charlestown)

10 Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore)

11 Mark Ronaldson (Shrule-Glencorrib)

12 Darren McHale (Knockmore)

13 Keith Ruttledge (Knockmore)

14 Jason Doherty (Burrishoole)

15 Conor Loftus (Crossmolina)

Subs

Mikey Sweeney (Kiltane) for Ruttledge (43)

K Higgins (Ballyhaunis) for S McHale (52)

C Crowe (Garrymore) for Gibbons (55)

Ger Cafferkey (Ballina Stephenites) for O’Hora (59)

NUI Galway

1 Donal O’Sullivan (Limerick)

2 Kevin McDonnell (Sligo)

3 Dave Cunnane (Galway)

4 David Murray (Roscommon)

5 John McManus (Roscommon)

6 Lee Cullen (Fermanagh)

7 Adrian Nolan (Galway)

8 Conor O’Shea (Mayo)

9 Peter Cooke (Galway)

10 Eoin O’Donoghue (Mayo)

11 Michael Daly (Galway)

12 Adam Gallagher (Mayo)

13 Kevin Finn (Roscommon)

14 Eoin Finnerty (Galway)

15 Criostor Davey (Sligo)

Subs

Sean Moran (Galway) for O’Donoghue (21)

Enda Boland (Westmeath) for Nolan (41)

Eoghan Lavin (Mayo) for Gallagher (55)

Andrew McCormack (Westmeath) for Cooke (63)

Referee: Barry Judge (Sligo)