Connacht Championship quarter-final
London 0-9 Mayo 2-16
Ruislip, May 29 2016
Mayo headed to London five years after needing extra time to get out of there. This time around there was no such drama as Mayo ran out 13 point winners. In his first championship game as captain, Cillian O'Connor's day ended early when he picked up a black card six minutes in. But Mayo eased to victory in his absence with Conor Loftus on his championship debut bagging 1-2 after coming on for O'Connor. Jason Doherty helped himself to a goal and Evan Regan kicked seven points on the day, five of them from frees.
Mayo: Robbie Hennelly (0-1, ’45 ); Brendan Harrison, Kevin Keane, Keith Higgins; Lee Keegan, Colm Boyle, Paddy Durcan; Stephen Coen (0-1 ), Jason Gibbons; Kevin McLoughlin (0-1 ), Aidan O’Shea (0-1 ), Jason Doherty (1-0 ); Evan Regan (0-7, five frees ), Cillian O’Connor, Conor O’Shea. Subs: Conor Loftus (1-2 ) for O’Connor (black card ), Shane Nally for Boyle, Andy Moran (0-2 ) for Conor O’Shea, Cathal Carolan for Doherty, Alan Dillon (0-1 ) for Gibbons, David Drake for Keegan.
Connacht Championship semi-final
Mayo 0-12 Galway 1-12
MacHale Park, June 18 2016
Mayo's drive for six Connacht titles on the bounce came crashing to an end in disappointing style in MacHale Park on the same day that Ireland were hammered by Belgium in the Euros. In what was an underwhelming display on a drizzly night in Castlebar, Galway's drive for home in the final 20 minutes was something to which Mayo could not respond. Tom Flynn scored Galway's goal with a quarter of an hour to go in a run that saw the Tribesmen outscore Mayo 1-5 to 0-1 down the home stretch. It was a hard defeat for Mayo to swallow as the unknown qualifier road opened up in front of them.
Mayo: Robbie Hennelly; Brendan Harrison, Kevin Keane, Keith Higgins; Lee Keegan (0-1 ), Colm Boyle (0-1 ), Paddy Durcan; Tom Parsons (0-1 ), Jason Gibbons; Kevin McLoughlin, Aidan O’Shea, Jason Doherty (0-1 ); Evan Regan (0-1, free ), Cillian O’Connor (0-6, five frees and a ‘45 ), Stephen Coen (0-1 ). Subs: Seamus O’Shea for Gibbons (inj ), Donal Vaughan for Boyle (blood ), Diarmuid O’Connor for Harrison, Donal Vaughan for Keane, Andy Moran for Regan, Alan Freeman for Parsons.
All Ireland Qualifier Round 2B
Mayo 2-14 Fermanagh 1-12
MacHale Park, July 9 2016
For the first time since Pearse Park in Longford Mayo entered the qualifier draw and were paired with Pete McGrath's Erne county men at home. The game will be remembered for the penalty given to Mayo when Aidan O'Shea was fouled, McGrath and Fermanagh cried foul over the decision after the game, but Cillian O'Connor stepped up and kicked the ball to the back of the net in the Bacon Factory end of the ground, and set up Mayo's comeback win where they trailed 1-10 to 1-4 at the break, outscoring Fermanagh by 1-10 to 0-2 over the last 35 minutes.
Mayo: David Clarke; Brendan Harrison, Kevin Keane, Keith Higgins; Lee Keegan (0-2 ), Colm Boyle (0-1 ), Paddy Durcan; Seamus O’Shea, Stephen Coen; Kevin McLoughlin, Aidan O’Shea (0-1 ), Diarmuid O’Connor (0-2 ); Evan Regan (0-1, a free ), Alan Freeman (1-0 ), Cillian O’Connor (1-5, penalty goal and four points ). Subs: Donal Vaughan for Durcan, Alan Dillon (0-2 ) for Freeman, Barry Moran for Coen, Andy Moran for Regan, Jason Doherty for Aidan O’Shea.
All Ireland Qualifier Round 3B
Mayo 2-17 Kildare 0-14
MacHale Park, July 16 2016
Mayo kept up their winning ways against Kildare at home thanks to a big 10 minute surge just before the break which saw them hit Kildare for 2-3 to 0-0. Diarmuid O'Connor lit up this game with a top class display and finished up with 1-5 for his efforts, his goal was one to remember as he accelerated past five Kildare defenders before finishing to the net while Evan Regan chipped in with 1-4 of his own. Mayo led by 2-9 to 0-5 at the break, but Kildare managed to outscore Mayo by 0-9 to 0-8 in the second half, but never really came close to making Mayo that nervous.
Mayo: David Clarke; Brendan Harrison, Kevin Keane, Keith Higgins (0-1 ); Lee Keegan, Colm Boyle, Paddy Durcan (0-1 ); Seamus O’Shea, Donal Vaughan; Kevin McLoughlin, Aidan O’Shea, Diarmuid O’Connor (1-5 ); Evan Regan (1-4, one free ), Andy Moran, Cillian O’Connor (0-2, frees ). Subs: Stephen Coen for Keane, Alan Dillon for Andy Moran, Barry Moran for Boyle (black card ), Jason Doherty (0-2 ) for Harrison, Alan Freeman (0-1 ) for Regan, Conor O’Shea (0-1 ) for Diarmuid O’Connor.
All Ireland Qualifier Round 4B
Mayo 3-15 Westmeath 1-14
Croke Park, July 30 2016
It was back to Croke Park for Mayo in round four of the qualifiers and the beaten Leinster finalists Westmeath who were waiting for them. Mayo won this game early on, but still had to hang on at the end, they failed to close out the contest as they let Westmeath reel them back in. Mayo led by 2-10 to 0-4 with 30 minutes gone on the clock, but with not long left on the clock they were just three points in front until an Aidan O'Shea goal and a Cillian O'Connor point sealed the win for them and sent them back into the qualifiers.
Mayo: David Clarke; Brendan Harrison, Kevin Keane, Keith Higgins (0-1 ); Lee Keegan, Colm Boyle, Paddy Durcan (0-1 ); Seamus O’Shea, Donal Vaughan (0-1 ); Kevin McLoughlin (0-1 ), Aidan O’Shea (1-0 ), Jason Doherty (1-1 ); Evan Regan (0-3, two frees ), Andy Moran (0-2 ), Cillian O’Connor (1-5, penalty goal and two frees ). Subs: Barry Moran for Boyle, Alan Dillon for Regan, Conor O’Shea for Doherty, Alan Freeman for Andy Moran, Chris Barrett for Keegan, Tom Parsons for Vaughan.
All Ireland quarter final
Mayo 0-13 Tyrone 0-12
Croke Park, August 6 2016
Despite being in the last five All Ireland semifinals, Mayo went into this game as underdogs against the newly crowned Ulster champions who were fancied by many to be a side who could stop Dublin. Mayo did not read into the pre game talk and went out with a game plan and purpose and delivered in spades. In what was an enthralling and intense game, Mayo went for it from the off. Alan Dillon's surprise introduction into the starting line shook things up as Mayo went at Tyrone. Sean Cavanagh's sending off late on was a key moment and Mayo held their heads just about at the end to seal a hard won and deserved victory.
Mayo: David Clarke; Brendan Harrison, Alan Dillon, Keith Higgins; Lee Keegan (0-2 ), Colm Boyle (0-1 ), Paddy Durcan; Seamus O’Shea, Donal Vaughan; Kevin McLoughlin, Aidan O’Shea (0-1 ), Diarmuid O’Connor; Jason Doherty, Andy Moran (0-1 ), Cillian O’Connor (0-7, four frees ). Subs: Tom Parsons (0-1 ) for Dillon, Conor O’Shea for Vaughan, Chris Barrett for Boyle, Evan Regan for Moran, Conor Loftus for Doherty, Stephen Coen for Diarmuid O’Connor.
All Ireland semifinal
Mayo 2-13 Tipperary 0-14
Croke Park, August 21 2016
Mayo did what they were expected to do and ended Tipperary's dream run at the semifinal stage. It took Conor O'Shea's snapshot finish after Evan Regan had miscued his effort to push Mayo home, but it was a case of job done. Jason Doherty's goal before half time after a surging run by Keith Higgins gave Mayo six points breathing room at half time. But Tipperary reeled them in after the break and outscored Mayo 1-3 to 0-7 down the closing 35 minutes, the damage Mayo had done in a great 10 minute burst before the break had done the damage for Stephen Rochford's men.
Mayo: David Clarke; Brendan Harrison, Barry Moran, Keith Higgins; Lee Keegan (0-1 ), Colm Boyle (0-1 ), Paddy Durcan; Seamus O’Shea, Donal Vaughan; Kevin McLoughlin (0-1 ), Aidan O’Shea (0-1 ), Diarmuid O’Connor (0-2 ); Jason Doherty (1-0 ), Andy Moran (0-4 ), Cillian O’Connor (0-3, frees ). Subs: Tom Parsons for Seamus O’Shea, Conor O’Shea (1-0 ) for Doherty, Evan Regan for Andy Moran, Chris Barrett for Boyle, Alan Dillon for McLoughlin, Conor Loftus for Cillian O’Connor.
