The Connemara Gaels had a satisfying first outing of the year and dispatched with Mayo with relative ease. The first quarter was tight as Mayo hung with their opponents, but as the game wore on Gaels turned the screw the outcome was more or less decided before the second half was too old. Barry Murphy impressed in the back line for the Gaels, while Eamonn McGlinchy and Bryan Carroll worked hard throughout at the other end.
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| Mayo's Pat O'Malley and the Gael's Michael Coyne |
Carroll got the Gaels on the board first with a point after 5 minutes, Dara McLaughlin leveled with a well-taken score for Mayo before Joey Geoghan and Carroll again put the Gaels ahead, and there they would stay for the rest of the game. Conor Walsh at center forward was the main threat in the Mayo forward line and proved effective at opening things up, but Mayo could not capitalize. Paudie O’Donahoe pointed a second for Mayo, but from then on the Gaels took hold of the game. Tom McDonagh extended the lead to four, and shortly afterwards Barry Murphy won the ball in his own back line and finished a great move with another point for the Gaels. Joe Geoghan made it six points to two for the Gaels at the break.
The second half was all Gaels and the forward line had plenty to feed on. Mayo found it hard to cope with the forward runs from Murphy who opened the scoring in the second half. Geoghan, Kevin Owens, and substitute PJ Kelly rattled off points and the Gaels introduced the subs for a run. After Eamonn McGlinchy and Carroll each added to the Gaels tally, Mayo finally made a breakthrough and Conor Walsh netted a consolation goal. A satisfying outing for the Gaels who advance to meet the Shannon Blues next week. Some good individual performances from Dara McLaughlin, Walsh and Gervase Toner will give Mayo something to build on.
Gaels: B. O’Halloran, M. Coyne, B. Murphy, V. O’Malley, K. Lowe, S. McKiernan, M. Geoghan, G. O’Malley, T. McDonagh, J. Geoghan, E. McGlinchy, K. Owens, B. Carroll. Mayo: A. Townsend, B. Cassidy, J. Morin, M. Murphy, R. Coyne, M. Carolan, G. Toner, K. Comer, P. O’Donahoe, C. Walsh, P. McKiernan, P. O’Malley, D. McLoughlin.
By Rory O'Donnell
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