Galway 1-9
Mayo 1-9

(Galway win 4-2 on penalties)

John Fallon reports from Tuam Stadium

GALWAY ADVANCED TO the FBD League final after winning a dramatic penalty shootout in front of 7,000 people at Tuam Stadium.

Mayo seemed poised for a first win over Galway since 2015 but Barry McHugh scored a late equalising goal for galway to send it to a shootout.

Mayo, playing with the breeze in the opening half, led by 1-5 to 0-3 at the break.

Galway didn’t score from play in that period with John Daly, another son of former player Val to make his mark with the Tribesmen, getting their 2019 account off the mark with a free from the right after 18 minutes.

Fionn McDonagh and Johnny Heaney.

Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO

By then Mayo had opened up a 0-4 to 0-0 lead with Jason Doherty getting a couple of frees and Conor Diskin scoring from a mark.

Brian Reape, impressive in the win over Leitrim last weekend, landed two good points in the opening half as the Bohola Moy Davitts clubman caused the home defence plenty of trouble.

Galway’s failure to deal with a long ball from centre-back Michael Plunkett led to Doherty firing to the net from close range five minutes from the break.

Barry McHugh reduced the margin just before the interval when he kicked his second free of the contest to leave them five points adrift at the break.

Andy Moran came on at half-time to get his 16th season up and running for Mayo.

Doherty and McHugh twice exchanged points early in the second-half to leave it 1-7 to0-5 after 46 minutes.

Penalty Shoot Out FBD League Semi Final Galway and Mayo https://t.co/dX4cJNPM48

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Galway got the gap down to 1-8 to 0-8 after 58 minutes after Johnny Heaney had hit the post with when McHugh pointed a 45 but almost immediately Reape hit back with his third point of the afternoon.

Galway squandered a few goal chances after that but McHugh saved them in the dying moments when he drilled the ball to the net after a long delivery from Michael Daly to force a penalty shootout.

Galway advanced when Liam Silke, Johnny Heaney, McHugh and Tom Flynn found the net after their goalkeeper Maghnus Breathnach saved efforts from Diarmuid O’Connor and Andy Moran, with Brian Reape and James Kelly converting their kicks.

Scorers for Galway: B McHugh 1-6 (0-4f, 0-1 ’45), J Daly 0-2 (0-1f), M Daly 0-1.

Scorers for Mayo: J Doherty 1-4 (0-4f), B Reape 0-3, C Diskin 0-2 (0-1f).

Mayo

1. Rob Hennelly (Breaffy) 

2. Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis)
3. Brendan Harrison (Aghamore)
4. David Drake (Ballaghaderreen) 

5. Colm Boyle (Davitts)
6. Michael Plunkett (Ballintubber)
7. James McCormack (Claremorris) 

8. Donal Vaughan (Castlebar Mitchels)
9. Diarmuid O’Connor (Ballintubber) 

10. Fionn McDonagh (Westport)
11. Conor Loftus (Crossmolina Deel Rovers)
12. Fergal Boland (Aghamore)

13. Connor Diskin (Claremorris)
14. Brian Reape (Bohola Moy Davitts)
15. Jason Doherty (Burrishoole)

Substitutes:

27. Andy Moran (Ballaghadereen) for Loftus (35)
24. Conor O’Shea (Breaffy) for Boland (48)
19. Stephen Coen (Hollymount/Carramore) for McCormack (53)
20. Lee Keegan (Westport) for Doherty (64)
21. James Kelly (Belmullet) for Drake (72)

Galway

1. Manus Breathnach (An Spidéal)

2. Declan Kyne (Clonbur)
3. Sean Andy Ó Ceallaigh
4. Liam Silke (Corofin)

5. Kieran Molloy (Corofin)
6. John Daly (Mountbellew-Moylough)
7. Dylan Wall (Corofin)

8. Kieran Duggan (Annaghdown)
9. Tomas Flynn (Athenry)

10. Cillian McDaid (Monivea-Abbey)
11. Michael Farragher (Corofin)
12. Johnny Heaney (Killanin)

13. Frankie Burke (Annaghdown)
14. Michael Boyle (Killererin)
15. Barry McHugh (Mountbellew-Moylough

Substitutes:

22. Peter Cooke (Maigh Cuilinn) for Duggan (35)
19. Seán Kelly (Maigh Cuilinn) for Molloy (42)
25. Michael Daly (An Creagán/Magh Locha) for Farragher (50)
20. Gary O’Donnell (Realta Thuama) for Wall (52)
17. Eoghan Kerin (Anach Cuain) for J Daly (61)

Referee: Patrick Neilan (Roscommon).

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