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Aidan O’Shea was upbeat all afternoon in the forward position
Mayo and Donegal earned Division 1 victories when the National League returned home. Meanwhile, Kildare and Wexford moved towards promotion at the lower levels.
Galway 0-17 May 3-23
Mayo rampaged at Tuam to score two valuable points as they tried to avoid relegation in Division 1.
Mark Moran and Oisín Mullen seriously defended their starting positions in the championship with flashy performances, while Galway struggled to deal with Aidan O’Shea and Cillian O’Connor on the attack line.
Moran and Paddy Durcan found the net in the first half as James Horan’s charges took a 2-17 to 0-7 lead at halftime.
Lee Keegan from Mayo is approached by Conor Campbell and Gary O’Donnell from Galway
The intensity dropped in the second half, with Mayo already closing the victory. Conor Loftus added a third goal to move on.
The visiting team held out for a 15-point victory, breathing fire as they attempted to extend their 23-year tenure in the top flight.
It was an afternoon to forget for Galway, who lost Damien Comer and Johnny Duane to injury. The tribe members yielded the top spot on the table to Kerry, and the manner of the defeat made their momentum before the championship.
Galway: Conor Gleeson; Conor Campbell, Seán Andy Ó Ceallaigh, Johnny Heaney; Liam Silke (0-2), Johnny Duane, Cillian McDaid (0-1); Cein D’Arcy, John Maher; Eamonn Brannigan, Damien Comer, Jason Leonard; Robert Finnerty (0-7 – 0-6 free), Ian Burke, Paul Conroy (0-3).
Subs: Michael Daly for Damien Comer, Gary O’Donnell (0-1) for Johnny Duane, Adrian Varley (0-1) for Eamonn Brannigan, Tom Flynn for John Maher, Matthias Barrett (0-1) for Cein D’Arcy.
Mayonnaise: David Clarke; Oisín Mullen, David McBrien, Lee Keegan; Patrick Durcan (1-2), Stephen Coen (0-1-0-1), Eoghan McLaughlin; Matthew Ruane, Conor Loftus (1-2-0-1 score); Fionn McDonagh, Mark Moran (1-2), Diarmuid O’Connor; Tommy Conroy (0-3), Aidan O’Shea (0-3), Cillian O’Connor (0-10 – 0-8 free).
Subs: Bryan Walsh for Fionn McDonagh, Padraig O’Hora for David McBrien, Ryan O’Donoghue for Diarmuid O’Connor, Darren Coen for Cillian O’Connor, Jordan Flynn for Matthew Ruane.
Comer’s injury will be a concern for Padraic Joyce before the championship
Donegal 2-17 Tyrone 2-13
Donegal gained the psychological advantage before the Ulster Championship quarterfinals in two weeks, with a close four-point victory over Tyrone.
The big talking point before the serve was Conor McKenna as the starter for the Red Hands, coming straight into the team after returning from Australia.
Nonetheless, it was the home team that got off to a quick start, with Jamie Brennan shooting over a couple of points with each foot and Peadar Mogan sending a rocket into the top corner of the net. Darren McCurry converted a penalty for the visitors after McKenna was dragged close to the goal, but Donegal took a 1-9 to 1-6 lead at the break.
Michael McKernan of Tyrone in action against Michael Murphy of Donegal
The turning point came in the second half, when Michael Murphy played on Brennan, who slipped him under the speedy Niall Morgan. It was a blow from which Tyrone could not recover. The Red Hands finished with 13 men, after Kieran McGeary and Rory Brennan received late red cards.
Nonetheless, there were positives for Mickey Harte as McKenna impressed upon his return, bringing his score to 1-2 with a late goal.
Jamie Brennan celebrates his goal in the second half
Donegal: Shaun Patton; Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Neil McGee, Stephen McMenamin; Ryan McHugh (0-3), Paul Brennan, Jeaic McKelvey; Hugh McFadde, Caolan McGonigle (0-1); Peadar Mogan (1-0), Niall O’Donnell (0-2), Ciarán Thompson (0-2 – 0-2 free); Jamie Brennan (1-2), Michael Murphy (0-6 – 0-5 free), Oisin Gallen.
Subs: Andrew McClean (0-1) by Oisin Gallen, Jason Magee by Hugh McFadden, Daire Ó Baoil by Jeaic McKelvey, Paddy McGrath by Paul Brennan, Caolan Ward by Eoghan Bán Gallagher.
Tyrone: Niall Morgan (0-1 – 0-1 free); Liam Rafferty (0-2), Ronan McNamee, Rory Brennan; Tiernan McCann, Kieran McGeary (0-1), Michael McKernan (0-1-0-1 scores); Padraig Hampsey, Frank Burns (0-1-0-1 score); Mattie Donnelly (0-1), Conor McKenna (1-2), Darren McCurry (1-2 – 1-0 penalty); Niall Sludden, Conall McCann (0-1 – 0-1 score), Conor Meyler.
Subs: David Mulgrew (0-1) by Niall Sludden, Michael O’Neill by Frank Burns, Ronan O’Neill by Conall McCann, Ben McDonnell by Padraig Hampsey.
Division 1 table
| Team | P | W | re | L | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerry | 6 | 4 | one | one | 7 | 9 |
| Dublin | 6 | 3 | two | one | 8 | 8 |
| Galway | 6 | 4 | 0 | two | 7 | 8 |
| Donegal | 6 | 3 | one | two | 22 | 7 |
| Tyrone | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | -18 | 6 |
| Monaghan | 6 | two | one | 3 | -one | 5 |
| Mayonnaise | 6 | two | one | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| Meath | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -25 | 0 |
Division 2
Clare and Kildare scored crucial home wins in the second division, beating Fermanagh and Cavan respectively.
The Banner beat an exhausted Erne 1-11 to 1-9, with Joe McGann scoring the crucial goal at Ennis.
Meanwhile, Jack O’Connor’s Lilywhites held off a late Breffni comeback for a 1-21-0-20 victory.
Kildare can still win the promotion
Division 2 table
| Team | P | W | re | L | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roscommon | 6 | 4 | one | one | twenty-one | 9 |
| Armagh | 6 | 3 | one | two | 22 | 7 |
| Westmeath | 6 | 3 | one | two | two | 7 |
| Kildare | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | two | 6 |
| They dig | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | -two | 6 |
| Clare | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | -4 | 6 |
| Laois | 6 | two | one | 3 | -18 | 5 |
| Fermanagh | 6 | one | 0 | 5 | -2. 3 | two |
Division 3
A Conor Sweeney penalty made the difference as Tipperary edged Offaly 1-16 to 0-16.
The Premier are not safe yet, as they battle with Faithful County and Leitrim to remain in Division 3.
Division table 3
| Team | P | W | re | L | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cork | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 12 |
| Down | 6 | 4 | one | one | 8 | 9 |
| Derry | 6 | 3 | one | two | 12 | 7 |
| Longford | 6 | 3 | one | two | 6 | 7 |
| Tipperary | 6 | two | one | 3 | -6 | 5 |
| Offaly | 6 | two | one | 3 | -7 | 5 |
| Leitrim | 6 | one | one | 4 | -18 | 3 |
| Louth | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -37 | 0 |
Division 4
Despite the loss of coach Paul Galvin in recent weeks, Wexford took a big step towards relegation with a 1-13 to 1-10 away win over Limerick.
Division table 4
| Team | P | W | re | L | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wicklow | 6 | 4 | 0 | two | 36 | 8 |
| Wexford | 6 | 4 | 0 | two | 19 | 8 |
| Limerick comic | 6 | 4 | 0 | two | -two | 8 |
| Antrim | 6 | 3 | one | two | -4 | 7 |
| Carlow | 7 | two | two | two | -4 | 6 |
| Sligo | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Waterford | 6 | one | one | 3 | -10 | 3 |
| London | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | -41 | 0 |
Throwing
Antrim sealed their return to the Hurling head table with a 2-23-2-20 victory over Kerry in the Division 2A final. Darren Gleeson’s positions will return to Division 1 in 2021.
Conor McCann of Antrim celebrates after scoring a goal
Meanwhile, Down beat Derry 2-16 to 0-17 in the decider by 2B, while Sligo beat Leitrim 3-17 to 2-16 in the 3B final.
Watch Inside The Game every Wednesday night on Sky Sports Mix. You can catch up on this week’s episode on the YouTube channel Sky Sports.
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