Mayo progressed to the Connacht Minor final in nine days time thanks to an early goal glut against Leitrim in Carrick-on-Shannon on Wednesday night. Enda Gilvarry’s men hit Leitrim for three goals inside the opening 15 minutes with Belmullet’s Ryan O’Donoghue their tormenter in chief.
The Mayo number 14 hit 2-1 inside the first five minutes of the opening half, opening the scoring with a well taken point after a neat one-two with Nathan McGhee inside the opening sixty seconds.
He followed that up less than minute later after Oisin McLoughlin drove down the right flank and squared the ball to O’Donoghue who finished from close range.
With less than five minutes gone on the watch he’d the ball in the back of the net again McLoughlin was involved again to set the Belmullet man free and with that the game was over as a real contest. Mayo were 3-3 to 0-1 to the good just after the quarter of an hour when Nathan McGee found the back of the net after he was quickest to react and fire home from close range after Colm Moran’s shot was saved by the Leitrim keeper’.
The home side did rally in the second quarter and reeled off five points on the bounce before the break with Darragh Rooney and Niall McGovern leading the charge and Mayo went in leading by 3-3 to 0-6.
O’Donghue and Colm Murphy kicked early points just after the restart and on 39 minutes O’Donoghue compeleted his hat-trick to seal the win, long before the full time whistle. Darragh Rooney slotted home a injury time penalty for Leitrim right on the stroke of full time to leave Mayo 4-11 to 1-8 winners.
For full report and reaction see this Friday's Mayo Advertiser, available in print and online from Friday morning.
Scores
Mayo: R O’Donoghue (3-4 ), N McGhee (1-0 ), O McLoughlin (0-3 ), P Lambert (0-1 ), C Moran (0-1 ), C Stenson (0-1 ), C Murphy (0-1 )
Leitrim: D Rooney (1-4 ), N McGovern (0-2 ), S Sweeney (0-1 ), J Gilhenny (0-1 )
Mayo: A Byrne; C Horan, D Cosgrove, J Cunnane; B O’Malley, M Macken, J Maughan; C Murphy, N Moran; P Lambert, R Egan, O McLaughlin; C Moran, R O’Donoghue, N McGhee. Subs: C Stenson for N Moran, S Kenny for B O’Malley, T Conroy for N McGee, S McGreal for Ross Egan, L Kelly for M Macken, E Gibbons for C Moran
Leitrim: D Maxwell; L Ryan, E Harkin, F Gallogly; C McGloin, J Gilheaney, S Harkin; N McGovern, E Keegan; C Duffy, S Chandler, E Harkin; R O’Rourke, D Rooney, J Glancy Subs: S Sweeney for J Glancy, S McDermott for L Ryan, C Kiernan for S Chandler, M Dolan for C Duffy, A McLoughlin for R O’Rourke
Ref: S Heir (Galway )
