Allianz Football League Division 1

GALWAY 1-11 MAYO 0-12

By Daragh Small at MacHale Park

Danny Cummins scored 1-2 as Galway continued their dominance over Mayo with this National Football League Division 1 victory in Castlebar.

Galway had gone six games without losing to their great rivals and neighbours, and they had to stave off a second half comeback with Danny Cummins’ goal crucial in the end.

Both of these teams had suffered defeats in the previous round, with Mayo falling to an eight-point defeat to Dublin, and Galway losing by the minimum against Kerry.

Galway took a 1-7 to 0-3 lead into half-time after they played with the breeze in the first half. But they did have to play for nine minutes with just 13 men on the field after Michael Daly and Barry McHugh were shown black cards.

Mayo scored first into the teeth of the gale force wind, Jason Doherty popped over a second minute free, but Galway soon hit their stride.

The visitors hit the next four points in a row with Cummins, Antaine Ó Laoí, Johnny Heaney and Michael Daly all on target.

Doherty scored his second free in the 12th minute but that was cancelled out by Cummins’ second point.

Michael Daly was sent to the line in the 17th minute, when he fouled Keith Higgins. And just one minute later McHugh was also awarded a black card after he tap-tackled Colm Boyle.

But Galway coped admirably with just 13 men on the pitch, and they outscored Mayo 1-1 to 0-0 during that period. It was Doherty who scored for Mayo but Galway exacted maximum damage between the 21st and 26th minutes.

Shane Walsh was almost at halfway when he sent over a huge free, and then Ó Laoí picked out Heaney, who unselfishly gifted Cummins the chance and he palmed to the net.

Mayo now trailed by 1-6 to 0-3 and they had missed a glorious chance to find the net themselves. Darren Coen played Boyle in, but his flick was stopped on the line by Tom Flynn.

Ó Laoí scored a wonderful point just before half-time and Galway took a 1-7 to 0-3 advantage into the break.

Doherty scored all of Mayo’s first half points but Matthew Ruane scored within two minutes of the resumption.

Walsh hit back with a free but the momentum started to swing in Mayo’s favour and they scored six points in a row before Walsh tagged on another free.

Doherty scored four times with Darren Coen and substitute Andy Moran also contributing to Mayo’s tally.

They only trailed by 1-8 to 0-10 but Walsh added a killer free with six minutes of normal time remaining.

He added two more before the end and Galway did just enough to secure a priceless victory.

Scorers for Galway: Danny Cummins 1-2 (0-1f), Shane Walsh 0-5 (0-5f), Antaine Ó Laoí 0-2, Michael Daly 0-1, Johnny Heaney 0-1

Scorers for Mayo: Jason Doherty 0-7 (0-6f), Matthew Ruane 0-1, Andy Moran 0-1 (0-1f), Darren Coen 0-1, Donie Vaughan 0-1, Diarmuid O’Connor 0-1.

GALWAY: Ruairí Lavelle; David Wynne, Seán Andy Ó Ceallaigh, Eoghan Kerin; Gary O’Donnell, John Daly, Johnny Heaney; Tom Flynn, Ciarán Duggan; Antaine Ó Laoí, Michael Daly, Peter Cooke; Barry McHugh, Shane Walsh, Danny Cummins. Subs: Gareth Bradshaw for Flynn (half-time), Finnian Ó Laoí for McHugh (half-time), Eamonn Brannigan for Cummins (54), Padraic Cunningham for A Ó Laoí (71).

MAYO: David Clarke; Chris Barrett, Lee Keegan, Brendan Harrison; Stephen Coen, Colm Boyle, Keith Higgins; Aidan O’Shea, Donal Vaughan; Fionn McDonagh, Matthew Ruane, Diarmuid O’Connor; James Durcan, Darren Coen, Jason Doherty. Subs: Kevin McLoughlin for Durcan (half-time), Andy Moran for S Coen (48), Brian Reape for McDonagh (69).

Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois).