Defending champions Mayo got their Allianz League campaign off to an impressive start with a deserved victory over an understrength Galway at a windswept Pearse Stadium in Salthill.
An 11th minute goal from Eoghan McLaughlin set the visitors on their way to a third successive win over their neighbours, and substitute Cillian O'Connor tucked away a penalty two minutes into added time to put the gloss on the final scoreline.
In between, Kevin McStay’s team dominated in most areas of the field as Galway badly missed the likes of Liam Silke, Seán Kelly, Cillian McDaid and Damien Comer, who were all sidelined through injury.
Padraic Joyce’s side struggled to create scoring chances in the wet and windy conditions and could only engineer six points from open play; a solitary white flag from substitute Cillian Ó Curraoin their sole effort in the second period.
Galway also went 19 minutes without a score in the opening half and ended the match with 11 wides. Mayo’s platform for victory was built around their dominance of the middle third as Jordan Flynn and Jack Carney formed an impressive midfield partnership, with Paddy Durcan, Sam Callinan, Fergal Boland and Bob Tuohy the pick of the supporting cast in that area.
Despite playing against the gale-force wind in the opening half, the holders led at half-time by four points (1-06 to 0-05) and they never looked likely to be overtaken after the restart as they kept a disappointing Galway at arm’s length.
Mayo went ahead after 70 seconds when the outstanding Boland marked his return to inter-county action with a neat point, and Galway were unable to wrestle the lead back for the rest of the game.
Mayo’s goal arrived in the 11th minute after a typically slick passing move ended with McLaughlin crashing a low left-footed shot past a helpless Connor Gleeson in the Galway goal.
The Westport defender’s clinical finish propelled Mayo ahead by 1-02 to 0-02 and they continued to make the running all the way to half-time. Mayo’s link play and movement caused Galway’s backline huge issues with Aidan O’Shea’s ball-winning ability close to goal central to their game-plan.
Flynn came on the end of a sweeping move to extend their advantage to four points. A black card for Mayo’s Ryan O’Donoghue for a foot trip in the 20th minute did change the dynamic of the game slightly, and the Tribesmen shot two long-range scores to make the most of their numerical advantage.
Liam Ó Conghaile clipped a brilliant long-range effort before Shane Walsh did likewise to cut the margin in half after 30 minutes. But Mayo continued to stick to their game-plan against the elements and Flynn ended a 17-minute spell without a score on 34 minutes after another crisp counter-attacking move.
Galway replied immediately through Cathal Sweeney, but it was only a brief respite as the homeside found themselves penned in for the remainder of the half. Mayo’s running game continued to find gaps, and with Aidan O’Shea proving a real handful for Seán Fitzgerald, Bob Tuohy and Boland both tacked on scores in the closing stages to give the visitors a deserved cushion at the short whistle.
They opened up some more daylight in the third quarter with Boland, Durcan and O’Donoghue all taking advantage of the strong wind to shoot long-range points. Galway tried to keep in touch via a Matthew Tierney free and a '45 from Shane Walsh, but they were unable to find any sort of rhythm against Mayo’s well-structured and tight-marking defence.
The sides traded scores twice to maintain the status quo in the closing stages — Mayo sub’ Paul Towey clipping two superb points as Walsh (free) and Ó Curraoin raised flags at the other end — but that was as close as Galway would get as the match entered added time.
The last word went to Mayo as O’Connor converted a penalty before the impressive Carney added the signature score.
Mayo will welcome All-Ireland champions Dublin to Castlebar next Saturday evening while Galway make the short trip to Dr Hyde Park to face Roscommon on Sunday.
Mayo: C Reape; J Coyne, D McBrien, R Brickenden; P Durcan (0-1), S Callinan, E McLaughlin (1-0); B Tuohy (0-1), C Reid; F Boland (0-3), J Carney(0-1), J Flynn (0-2); A O’Shea, T Conroy, R O’Donoghue (0-2, 2fs).
Subs used: D Duffy for Reid (46); P Towey (0-2) for Conroy (56); C O’Connor (1-0, pen) for O’Shea (59); D McHugh for Tuohy (63); S Coen for Boland (69).
Galway: C Gleeson; J McGrath, S Fitzgerald, E Kelly; S Mulkerrin, J Daly, K Molloy; J Maher, D McHugh (0-1); J Heaney, S Walsh (0-4, 2fs, ‘45), C Darcy; L Ó Conghaile (0-2), N Daly, C Sweeney (0-1).
Subs used: M Tierney (0-1, 1f) for N Daly (19); P Conroy for Heaney (HT): C Ó Curraoin (0-1) for Molloy (50); R Finnerty for Darcy (52); D O’Flaherty for Ó Conghaile (64).
Referee: S Hurson (Tyrone)
