Galway Dethrone Mayo in TG4 Connacht Final

Galway 3-12

Mayo 1-8

Galway secured their fifth TG4 Connacht Senior Ladies Football Championship title in six years at MacHale Park, Castlebar on Sunday afternoon, beating defending champions Mayo by ten points.

Stephen Glennon’s Galway side did the damage in the first half, and had built up a virtually unassailable 3-7 to 0-4 lead by the interval.

Indeed, they had two goals inside five minutes, the first from Mairéad Seoighe after a short Mayo kick-out backfired, the second from Niamh Duggan (only on the field as a temporary substitute) after a good move. Mairéad Seoighe bagged the beautiful third goal, her second, after 26 minutes, following a one-two with Sarah Conneally.

Galway centre forward Tracey Leonard racked up five first-half points (four from frees), while Mairéad Seoighe and Áine McDonagh chipped in with a point apiece. Mayo were restricted to three Cora Staunton frees and a sole point from play in the opening period, that from Sarah Rowe.

Mayo made more of a game of it in the second half as substitute Shauna Howley scored their only goal in the 38th minute. Cora Staunton scored all four of Mayo’s second-half points. Galway’s Tracey Leonard matched that tally to bring her tally to nine, while Mairéad Seoighe also added her second point.

Galway wing forward Olivia Divilly was named Player of the Match, while captain Emer Flaherty accepted the CBE Cup afterwards.

“We knew it would be an absolute battle,” the victorious captain said afterwards. “It was a tough game out there. We got a nice start, but by God, we had to work very hard.”

 

GALWAY

D Gower; F Cooney, N Connolly, E Flaherty; A Seoighe, B Hannon, S Burke; C Cormican, L Gannon; O Divilly, T Leonard (0-9, 7f), A McDonagh (0-1); M Seoighe (2-2), S Conneally, R Leonard.

Subs used: N Duggan for S Conneally (1-0, 4 mins, temp);

 

MAYO

Y Byrne; O Conlon, S Tierney, M Corbett; R Kearns, M Carter, D Hughes; F McHale, A Gilroy; S Rowe (0-1), G Kelly, F Doherty; M McGing, C Staunton (0-7, 6f), N Gaughan.

Subs used: S Howley (1-0) for M McGing (h-t); A Dowling for F Doherty (53 mins); A Duffy for G Kelly (57 mins).

 

Referee: G Chapman (Sligo)

By Daniel Carey