Mayo left it late, but the managed to earn a hard fought point in their opening league game against Donegal in Sligo on Sunday afternoon.
Rob Hennelly was the hero for Mayo saving a penalty from Patrick McBrearty and then holding his nerve to land a last second free from out on the far side of the field to level the game up right at the death.
Donegal were by far the most impressive team in the opening half and want in leading by four points at the break, but Mayo upped their way through the gears and dragged themselves back into the game down the home straight.
Michael Murphy was one of a number of changes to the Donegal starting 15 from the one on the programme and he helped himself to two points and even missed 11 minutes off action getting treatment for a blood injury.
Patrick McBrearty opened the scoring three minutes in from a free after Tony McClenagahan was fouled by Conor Loftus. Murphy doubled their advantage two minutes later from a mark after he easily held off debutant Donnacha McHugh to the field the ball in the right corner.
Mayo got their first score of the day through a Ryan O’Donoghue points eight minutes in from a placed ball, but even at this stage the Mayo attack were living off scraps.
Donegal went on reel off three points on the bounce over the net four minutes with Murphy from a free, Conor O’Donnell and Michael Langan all rising the white flag. They got in for a goal chance just before the quarter of an hour mark when Ódhrán McFadden Ferry was found bending he cover but Rob Hennelly stood strong.
O’Donoghue cut the gap back to a three points a minute later from another free, but fonts from Ryan McHugh and Langan made it 0-7 to 0-2 for the Ulster men. Mayo did cut the gap back to four thanks to a fine score from Eoghan McLaughlin.
Paddy Durcan put just three between the teams not long after the restart, but points from Murphy and Langan reimposed Donegal’s dominance on the scoreboard.
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On the break: Diarmuid O'Connor tries to break forward for Mayo. Photo: Sportsfile
Jason Doherty reeled off two on the bounce for Mayo both of which were goal chances to bring his side closer, however the game looked to have gone right away from them when Stephen Coen was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Murphy for a penalty.
Up steeped McBrearty, who drove his spot kick low and to the bottom right hand corner, but Hennelly guessed the right way and put it out for a 45, which was converted by Murphy.
Langan put over his fourth point of the day to move Donegal five clear and looking good 55 minutes in, but Mayo were up to up the pressure.
O’Donoghue pointed from play, Durcan got his second of the day, then Doherty chipped in with his third. On the 65 minute mark O’Donoghue hit a free that just scrapped inside the post and there was just one in it.
Deep into injury time Donegal tried to keep the ball and it ended up with Shaun Patton who was blown for over carrying under pressure. Hennelly made the long trek up the field and held his nerve to split the posts.
Scorers Mayo: Ryan O’Donoghue (0-4, 3f ), Jason Doherty (0-3 ), Paddy Durcan (0-2 ), Eoghan McLaughlin (0-1 ), Rob Hennelly (0-1, 1f )
Scorers Donegal: Michael Langan (0-4, ), Michael Murphy (0-4, 1m, 1f 1 45 ), Ryan McHugh (0-1 ), Patrick McBrearty (0-1, 1f ) C O’Donnell (0-1 )
MAYO: Rob Hennelly; Rory Brickenden, Stephen Coen, Padraig O’Hora; Paddy Durcan, Donnacha McHugh, Eoghan McLaughlin; Conor O’Shea, Conor Loftus; Fionn McDonagh, Aiden Orme, Diarmuid O’Connor; Tommy Konor, Jason Doherty, Ryan O’Donoghue.
Subs: Aidan O’Shea for Orme, Bryan Walsh for McDonnagh, Sam Callinan for McHugh, Jordan Flynn for Loftus, Paul Towey for Conor O’Shea.
Donegal: Shaun Patton; Caolan Ward, Brendan McCole, Ódhrán McFadden Ferry; Ryan McHugh, Paul Brennan, Tony McClenghan; Caolan McGonagle, Michael Murphy, Eoin Ban Gallagher.
Subs: Jason McGee for Thomspon, Jeaic McCeallabhuí for Ward, Niall O’Donnell for Conor O’Donnell, Ethan O’Donnell for McClenaghan, Eunan Doherty for McFadden Ferry
Ref: Noel Mooney (Cavan
