Galway book NFL final spot
Mayo 1-6 Galway 1-11
Classy Galway bypassed their neighbours Mayo into the NFL Division One final with an impressive 1-11 to 1-06 victory at Castlebar's McHale Park.
Not even the second half introduction of 2005 captain Ciaran McDonald, who was thrust into his first inter-county game since last August, could inspire Mayo in front of 10,768 spectators.
Peter Ford's Tribesmen gained their fifth league win on the trot after their excellent recent form in Division 1B to set up a tantalising final clash with 2004 League winners Kerry.
Galway led 1-06 to 0-03 at the interval courtesy of Matthew Clancy's goal and three points from the talismanic Padraic Joyce.
Mayo started without 1993 All-Star Kevin O'Neill, whose ankle injury got the better of him, and Alan Durkin was brought into the attack.
A foul on Andy Moran allowed full-forward Austin O'Malley to point Mayo into the lead after 6 minutes. In a low-scoring opening, Galway created a decent goal chance in the eighth minute but Michael Donnellan and Michael Meehan were closed out of space.
Joyce levelled with a 14th-minute free and Galway soon moved 0-05 to 0-02 ahead as they used their possession economically.
Mayo captain David Heaney set O'Malley up for the game's first point from play on 18 minutes. However, Joyce won the kick-out and laid off for Derek Savage to right-foot over in reply.
The visitors rattled over successive points from Joyce, Meehan and lively wing back Michael Comer to move three clear.
On 22 minutes, Clancy was worked into space and he sent a left-footed shot beyond Mayo 'keeper John Healy for the game's only goal. Mayo took a while to recover but pointed through Alan Dillon (free) on the half-hour before Joyce angled over a great score from an acute angle to close out the first half.
Mayo opened the second half confidently with frees from O'Malley and Dillon to reduce the deficit to 0-05 to 1-06, but once again, Galway went through a purple patch, hitting the next three scores – Sean Armstrong and Donnellan were on target.
Mayo boss Mickey Moran raided his bench and threw McDonald, David Brady and the fit-again Trevor Mortimer into the fray. The switches seemed to have paid dividends when O'Malley, who scored 1-03, netted on 60 minutes and Mortimer added a point for a 1-06 to 1-09 score line.
Galway looked composed and showed that winning factor that saw them past Kildare, Wexford, Meath and Down in the regulation phase.
Late points from Joyce, who displayed great ball control to fist over, and Donnellan (free) kept the Tribe's hopes of a first NFL title since 1981 alive.
