Mayo have won the FBD Insurance Football League final with a comfortable victory over NUIG at MacHale Park.
The Heather County led 0-08 to 0-03 at the break, with Alan Freeman (0-03), Andy Moran (0-03) and Conor Mortimer (0-02) all pointing for the county.
Scores from Shane Moran, Neil Douglas and Fiachra Deasmhunaigh kept the students within touching distance.
However, the second period was all Mayo as they blitzed their opponents with man-of-the-match Kevin McLoughlin turning in an inspired performance and Mortimer adding a further three scores to bring his tally to five.
Alan Dillon holds the FBD Insurance Football League trophy
Shane Moran opened the scoring for the Students after nine minutes, but just two minutes later Freeman equalised with a free for Mayo, before a further Freeman free put James Horan’s men into the lead.
Freeman’s first point from open play extended the county’s lead. But the students struck back with a point from Mayo man Douglas.
Andy Moran took up the scoring gauntlet for Mayo, hitting two consecutive points to push Mayo 0-05 to 0-02 ahead. Mortimer then weighed in with his first point of the evening.
Mayo were well in control by now, and on 24 minutes, Mortimer added his second of the evening, a free-kick, as NUIG began to drop out of sight.
With the game seemingly getting away from them, NUIG brought on Ronan Roachford for David Gavin – another Mayo man - in an effort to change the ebb and flow.
The change had an immediate effect with Deasmhunaigh pointing from play for the Galway side. However, Andy Moran responded with a point for Mayo after a well-worked move up the middle of the park, leaving Mayo 0-08 to 0-03 ahead at the interval.
Just after the break, NUIG manager John Maughan made a further change when bringing on Conor Griffin for Stephen Guing. Soon after, NUIG's Deasmhunaigh got his second - and the students' last - score of the evening.
That score was followed by a double substitution for Mayo as Seamus O'Shea and Cillian O'Connor replaced Aidan O'Shea and Andy Moran.
Following those changes, Mayo went on to force home their advantage with a free from Mortimer and a point from open play from Barry Moran.
Mayo were rocking and rolling by now and added another from open play through Kevin McLoughlin. Mortimer added another free as the game slipped out of sight for NUIG, before Eoghan Reilly and Colm Boyle replaced Ger Cafferkey and Richie Feeney for Horan’s Mayo.
Mortimer added his fifth point when Alan Dillon was pulled down, prior to Even Regan replacing the hard-working Freeman.
Mayo keeper David Clarke was called into action soon after, making a point-blank save after a quick free-kick from NUIG.
On the 60-minute mark, Lee Keegan got his point, as Mayo waltzed towards the final whistle and a well-deserved victory.
