Mayo got the better of their Connacht rivals Galway this afternoon to snatch the Allianz National Football Final with a one-point victory at Croke Park. Galway enjoyed the better start and led at half-time but their failure to score over the closing 28 minutes of play cost them victory.
The turning point came mid-way through the second half when Mayo trailed by three points. They introduced James Nallen and the substitute, named man-of-the-match after the game, interjected some much needed fire and aggression into Mayo's play.
In the 58th minute, left-half-back and captain Noel Connolly raced forward and pointed to reduce the deficit to a single score. Following an extended period of stoppages and scoreless play, Maurice Sheridan brought the sides level. With over five minutes of stoppage time added by the referee, there was still nine minutes left for either side to snatch victory. Only one other point was scored in this time and it proved to be the winner for Mayo.
It was Connolly who supplied the necessary pass to Marty McNicholas and his point was greeted by rousing cheers from the Mayo supporters. Galway pressed forward in the dying minutes but Mayo's defence held firm to ensure a memorable victory to add to their football success in the ladies competition and more recently in the All-Ireland Club Championships.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
