Galway 2-13
Mayo 1-10
By Daragh Small
SUPER SUB EOIN Finnerty made the game safe as Galway knocked reigning EirGrid All-Ireland U21 football champions Mayo out of the Connacht semi-final at Tuam Stadium.
The conditions were ideal and the province’s two most successful counties at this level served up an old-fashioned derby battle in front of a bumper crowd.
Mayo won the All-Ireland last year when they got the better of Cork after a stellar campaign in 2016, but Galway had too much after they led 0-10 to 1-5 at half-time.
Brian Reape goaled for Mayo, but two second-half strikes from Dessie Conneely and Finnerty helped Galway through, and they go on to face Sligo in the decider next Saturday.
Mayo have won 24 U-21 Connacht titles, and beat Roscommon in last year’s decider, but they were slow to get going.
Peter Cooke and Brian Reape swapped points early on but Galway went 0-5 to 0-1 up when Cillian McDaid scored in the 12th minute.
When Paul Mannion hit his third point nine minutes before half-time Galway were six clear, but Mayo got the goal when they needed it.
James Carr and Ryan O’Donoghue combined for Brian Reape to rattle the net and bring them back into contention.
Mayo only trailed 0-10 to 1-5 at half-time but Conneely scored the crucial goal in the 36th minute.
Eoin Finnerty sealed the win one minute after his introduction and James Kelly got sent-off for a straight red when he collided with Dylan McHugh.
Scorers for Galway: P Mannion 0-4, D Conneely 1-0, E Finnerty 1-0, P Cooke 0-3 (0-2f, 0-1 45), R Finnerty 0-2 (0-1f), M Daly 0-2, C McDaid 0-1, C Brady 0-1.
Scorers for Mayo: B Reape 1-6 (0-5f), M Flanagan 0-1 (0-1 45), M Murray 0-1, J Lyons 0-1, M Ruane 0-1.
Galway
1. Ronan O Beolain (Micheal Breathnach)
2. Liam Kelly (An Spideal)
3. Sean Andy O Ceallaigh (Leitir Mor)
4. Rory Greene (Killannin)
5. Kieran Molloy (Corofin)
6. Dylan McHugh (Corofin)
7. Cillian McDaid (Monivea-Abbey)
8. Peter Cooke (Moycullen)
11. Michael Daly (Mountbellew-Moylough)
10. Antaine O Laoi (An Spideal)
9. Colm Brennan (Oileain Arainn)
12. Colin Brady (Corofin)
13. Robert Finnerty (Salthill-Knocknacarra)
14. Paul Mannion (Kilconly)
15. Dessie Conneely (Moycullen)
Substitutes:
18. Sean Kelly (Moycullen) for McDaid (40)
21. Eoin Finnerty (Mountbellew-Moylough) for Brady (48)
20. Cein D’Arcy (Caherlistrane) for C Brennan (52)
23. Eric Lee (Oughterard) for McHugh (32)
24. Colm Mannion (Mountbellew-Moylough) for O Laoi (36).
22. Michael Boyle (Killererin) for Conneely (37).
Mayo
1. Matthew Flanagan (Balla)
5. Marcus Park (Knockmore)
4. Sean Conlon (Castlebar Mitchels)
2. Stephen Brennan (Claremorris)
7. Shairoze Akram (Ballaghaderreen)
3. Eoin O’Donoghue (Bellmullet)
6. Dylan Cannon (Breaffy)
8. Matthew Ruane (Breaffy)
9. Mike Murray (Ballina Stephenites)
21. Fionn McDonagh (Westport)
20. Ryan O’Donoghue (Belmullet)
12. James Kelly (Belmullet)
15. James Carr (Ardagh)
14. Brian Reape (Moy Davitts)
13. James Lyons (Aughamore)
Substitutes:
10. James McCormack (Claremorris) for McDonagh (48)
17. Jason Forkan (Kiltimagh) for E O’Donoghue (50)
22. TJ Byrne (Kiltimagh) for R O’Donoghue (55)
11. Gerry Canavan (Mayo Gaels) for Cannon (58)
23. Jordan Flynn (Crossmolina) for Murray (36).
Referee: John Gilmartin (Sligo)
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Amazing the progress Kerry hurling has made in recent years
Kerry will be there abouts come september i think!!!
3 more goals scored off Richie mc carthy
Who would you prefer at full back?
Richie or not conceding 3 goals to Kerry is fair poor.
Heard a rumour during the week that division 1 is planning on being changed to 8 teams next season any1 heard something similar could be a bit of good fortune for either limerick or Galway if that was the case
Good result for the shannonsiders but Galway let them down.
Galway let us down?? We let or ourselves down last week!!! Blaming Galway is ludicrous, hammering Kerry does nothing for us only improve scoring difference, beating Wexford and Galway would have been progress, disappointing to be on this div for another yr but roll on Championship time plz!
I can’t imagine being in 1A makes much of a difference lads IMO. We’ve won a Munster from here and let’s be fair Limerick can match Coca cola for bottling stuff. Next season will have another big team from 1A in 1B so it’ll be more competitive isn’t that what we want ? Since we were relegated how many All Ireland’s have Dublin Cork Waterford Galway won ? Thought as much.
So we should just be content with 1b and aim for Munster? Trying to be the best u can be means mixing it with the best, beating Kerry or a Laois year in year out doesn’t improve us tbh, having the tougher tests against the stronger teams of Kilkenny and Tipp and Waterford etc will only bring on the young lads leaps n bounds, improve crowds on home games and higher standard of skill before championship, only my own opinion but that’s what I hope a Limerick Senior Hurler is aiming for!
Never said be content lad. I just feel we’re getting wound up about being in 1A. And who’s to say if we got promoted we’d stay up ? I’m sick of listening about the talent in this county and how we should be there there abouts. Whether its the county board or management team its one or the other being blamed for not progressing. But no one is looking at the players. TJ couldn’t get us up the Cork lad John Allen couldn’t. Now Kiely who was the answer isn’t bringing us up. It can’t be the county board or management the whole time. The players need to say fook the hype we need to prove to ourselves and the county we’re good enough.
Agreed, players need to stand up and be counted for! Surely the want to be hurling at the top table every year, everyone in Limerick knows we have some decent talent at our disposal now, here’s hoping John Kiely & Co can utilise it, god knows it was pissed away many moons ago! Unless we reach 1A we’ll never know if we can stay a float up dere, pretty sure ppl didn’t expect Waterford to continue staying in 1A, talent hard work and dedication has kept them up dere and continue to improve
Agreed on that.
Hopefully we’ll push on from here and salvage some pride at least from this league campaign, as getting to 1A is gone now. Glad we got some kind of a response at least.
Awful pity it takes a loss to get a response, why can’t we put foot to the floor from the off ad get the fcuk out of this div once and for all, gonna be even harder next yr depending on who comes down, more competitive yes, but we want those high intensity games week in week out!