MAYO and Galway ended in stalemate for the first time in more than 30 years as Ryan O’Donoghue’s late point ensured a share of the spoils in Castlebar.
Galway looked set to maintain their recent domination of this fixture at Hastings MacHale Park, where Mayo haven’t beaten them since 2014, with Damien Comer’s free deep in injury time but there was still time for O’Donoghue to kick a leveller after a loose clearance from Cathal Sweeney in the sixth minute of added time.
It was the first draw between the counties in League or Championship since the 1992 Connacht quarter-final, which Mayo won after a replay, a surprisingly lengthy stretch for what is one of the most evenly balanced rivalries right across the GAA.
READ MORE: Mayo 1-11 Galway 2-8 recap and result as Ryan O'Donoghue salvages draw
The standard of fare, for the most part, was as high as could be expected for the last weekend of January, though lengthy bouts of possession football diluted the spectacle at times. There was certainly enough quality to keep you interested, however.
There’ll hardly be a better goal across the four divisions in this year’s League than James Carr’s 10th minute strike for Mayo, as he swept past Dylan McHugh and gave Connor Gleeson no chance with a fierce shot to the Galway goalkeeper’s top right-hand corner from some 18 metres out.
Three minutes later, Galway had a goal of their own and of a very different variety, as Johnny Heaney’s point effort dropped in that no-man’s land between goalkeeper and last defender. Ultimately Colm Reape wasn’t assertive enough and Matthew Tierney got up above Aiden Orme to slap the ball to the net.
Paul Kelly kicked a fine point straight after to put Galway 1-3 to 1-1 in front and they held the lead through to half-time, despite losing Eoghan Kelly for 10 minutes to a black card, without threatening to open a lead over less experienced opposition as Mayo hung in.
Their most eye-catching score was a mark converted by Comer after Gleeson made another jaunt upfield and lumped the ball straight down the middle for the Annaghdown to leap and fetch; the prototype play for which the inside mark was introduced but, alas, all too rare.
Galway led by 1-5 to 1-3 at half-time in front of a fine turnout of 13,654, though Matthew Ruane made a storming start to the second half, kicking a point after 11 seconds and making a huge fetch at midfield to set another score in motion for Mayo as they regained the lead with three unanswered points.
Some slack defending wiped out all of that good work, however, as Cillian McDaid straightened up after meandering across the field, drove at Mayo and picked out Sean Kelly who had drifted inside unnoticed. He slotted Galway’s second goal with a nice finish off Reape’s right-hand post, with Paul Conroy’s point shortly after giving the Connacht champions their biggest lead of the night at three points.
Mayo’s response was good and points from O’Donoghue (free) and Bob Tuohy reduced the deficit before their momentum was punctured by a black card for Ruane following an off the ball incident with Sean Kelly in the 55th minute.
But McDaid suffered the same fate seven minutes later for dragging down Mayo sub Aidan O’Shea with Galway having not made any progress on the scoreboard in the meantime.
O’Donoghue then won and converted a free to draw Mayo level as more old hands, Cillian O’Connor and Kevin McLoughlin, entered the fray, with Ruane returning.
Peter Cooke kicked a huge free for Galway which O’Connor cancelled out, but Comer looked to have won it for Galway with another free after McLoughlin fouled Eoin Finnerty.
Still, there was just about enough time for O’Donoghue to level and give new boss Kevin McStay a decent start to his reign.
MAYO: C Reape; J Coyne, D McBrien, R Brickenden; S Coren, C Loftus, E Hession; M Ruane (0-1), D O’Connor (0-1); B Tuohy (0-1), J Carney, J Flynn (0-1); R O’Donoghue (0-6, 0-4f), J Carr (1-0), A Orme.
Subs: A O’Shea for Orme (52), E McLaughlin for O’Connor (52), C O’Connor (0-1) for Carr (64), K McLoughlin for Carney (68), P Towey for Tuohy (70+6).
GALWAY: C Gleeson; S Kelly (1-0), N Mulcahy, E Kelly; D McHugh, J Daly, D O’Flaherty; P Conroy (0-1), C McDaid (0-1); P Kelly (0-1), M Tierney (1-0), J Heaney; R Finnerty (0-1), D Comer (0-3, 0-1f, 0-1m), D Conneely.
Subs: P Cooke (0-1f) for Finnerty (26), C Sweeney for P Kelly (43), E Finnerty for Conneely (49), J Glynn for O’Flaherty (60), G Davoren for Tierney (64).
REFEREE: J McQuillan (Cavan).
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