All-Ireland champions Tyrone’s Allianz NFL Division One run came to an end at Castlebar as Mayo secured the point they needed for a semi-final berth in a 1-08 to 0-11 draw.
The westerners will face neighbours Galway in the last-four after today’s stalemate. 2005 Footballer of the Year Stephen O’Neill had a late free chance to win it – albeit a difficult one. He tried to play it short to a team-mate, but it fell into the hands of Mayo’s Austin O’Malley, and the home side cleared the danger.
Mickey Moran’s Mayo side, badly beaten by Dublin last time out, included Trevor Howley and Keith Higgins from the Under-21s’ Connacht final win yesterday. Last year’s captain Ciaran McDonald might have been included, but a hand injury sustained in a club game had ruled the enigmatic forward out.
Following the 15-minute delay for the GPA players’ protest, Mayo made the better start in sunny conditions. 1993 All-Star Kevin O’Neill pointed from a Billy Joe Padden pass before Ryan Mellon replied for the Red Hands.
Mayo moved 0-04 to 0-01 clear as a ’45 from O’Neill was punched over by Austin O’Malley and the same two players added to their tallies, moments later.
Philip Jordan managed to point for Tyrone, but a Ger Brady pass set wing back Peadar Gardiner up for what looked like being a decisive goal on 20 minutes.
Gardiner’s green flag proved to be Mayo’s last score of the first half however as Tyrone hit five points on the bounce to get back level at 1-04 to 0-07 at the break.
They would have been in front had John Healy not saved a goal-bound shot from Sean Cavanagh. Captain Brian Dooher, Cavanagh, Martin Penrose and O’Neill (2 frees) all landed successive scores and ‘keeper Pascal McConnell did excellently to dive low to his left and save Andy Moran’s penalty on the half-hour.
Mayo made a sluggish start to the second half – they waited a full 17 minutes before substitute David Brady angled over their first point of the half. By that time, Tyrone had moved 0-10 to 1-04 clear with O’Neill (2) and Kevin Hughes off the mark.
Moran’s men managed to turn the deficit into a one-point lead going into the final minutes with O’Malley, Ger Brady and Alan Dillon (free) reeling off successive points for the partisan McHale Park crowd.
Conor Gormley pointed to square matters up as the game ticked into injury-time. O’Neill had one last shot to rescue a win for his side from 40 metres, but the move broke down and Mayo progress to a showdown with Galway next Sunday.
