New York 0-08 Mayo 4-18
The sun came out for the two teams at Gaelic Park in the Bronx as New York attempted to overcome a Mayo team who were considered heavy favourites before the ball was thrown in.
It didn’t take long for Mayo to convert the first score, when after 30 seconds Donal Vaughan kicked over with his right after a sweeping run from his half-back position. Mayo never looked troubled in the first half, winning a majority of the ball around midfield before getting the ball into a revolving full forward line who scored seven of their ten first half points.
New York were unlucky not to put more scores on the board during the first 35 minutes, hitting the post three times before the break and were also unable to convert from free kicks that Mayo seemed happy to give away at a reasonable distance out from their goals.
A major talking point of the first half was a challenge by Ronan McGinley, who was lucky not to be sent off after hitting Kevin McLoughlin high - receiving a yellow card for his trouble. The Mayo corner forward had to be carried off the field visibly shaken by the challenge with the half-time score reading 0-11 to 0-02 to the vistors.
Mayo came out with the same force that they started the game with, only this time a well-worked move was converted into a goal by Diarmuid O’Connor after the ball was passed across and he finished greatly.
There was a hint of a comeback from New York after the goal with them scoring four points on the bounce before a lack of discipline saw them gave away not one but two penalties before the end of the game.
First, Ronan McGinley slammed into the side of replacement corner forward Enda Varley and then Brendan Quigley pushed Brendan Harrison to give the referee no choice but to award the spot kicks.
Man of the match Cillian O’Connor converted both ruthlessly from the spot as New York failed to match the intensity of Mayo in the second half.
However, two excellent scores from Gary O’Driscoll and a well taken free from Jason Kelly clawed back some respect for the homeside.
Mayo inflicted yet more punishment on New York just before the final whistle when an exceptional ball from Lee Keegan found Enda Varley before he rounded the keeper and tapped into an empty net.
Scorers for New York: Jason Kelly 0-3, Brendan Quigley 0-1, Alan Raftery 0-1, Ross Wherity 0-1, Johnny McGeeney 0-1, Gary O’Driscoll 0-1.
Scorers for Mayo: Cillian O’Connor 2-5, Enda Varley 1-1, Andy Moran 0-3, Donal Vaughan 0-2, Aidan O’Shea 0-2, Kevin McLoughlin 0-2, Lee Keegan 0-1, Jason Gibbons 0-1, Darren Coen 0-1.
NEW YORK: Gavin Joyce; Ronan McGinley, Gerard McCartan, Kieran O Connor; Keith Scally, Paul O Connor, Denis O Sullivan; Brendan Quigley, Alan Raftery; Paddy Boyle, Jason Kelly, Ross Wherity; Johnny McGeeney, Keith Quinn, Gary O Driscoll
Subs: Conor McCormack for Kieran O’Connor, Shaun McNamee for Keith Scally, Hugh Curran for Paul O’Connor, James Huvane for Denis O’Sullivan, Niall Farrell for Paddy Boyle.
MAYO: Robert Hennelly; Tom Cunniffe, Kevin Keane, Keith Higgins; Lee Keegan, Colm Boyle, Donal Vaughan; Jason Gibbons, Aidan O’Shea; Diarmuid O’Connor, Seamus O’Shea, Jason Doherty; Kevin McLoughlin, Andy Moran, Cillian O’Connor
Subs: Brendan Harrison for Keith Higgins, Tom Parsons for Jason Gibbons, Alan Dillon for Diarmuid O’Connor, Richie Feeney for Jason Doherty, Enda Varley for Kevin McLoughlin, Conor O’Shea for Andy Moran, Darren Coen for Cillian O’Connor.