Galway hang on for epic victory

Women's Football/Mayo 3-9 Galway 3-10: Champions Mayo relinquished their hold on the Brendan Martin Cup at Dr Hyde Park on Saturday night but not before playing their part in an extra-time epic.

With light running out at the Roscommon venue due to a delayed kick-off and at extra time, Galway eventually edged into the October 3rd decider against Dublin with a point to spare.

They did it the hard way after 90 minutes of excellent replay action and it took a superb performance from full-forward Niamh Duggan to turn things their way. The Galway heroine hit an early goal to get her side on the way in normal time and then conjured up 1-1 in extra-time.

It was tough on Mayo who conceded that early goal in bizarre fashion when goalkeeper Linda Connolly carried Duggan's free-kick over her own goalline. Then Cora Staunton had a free-kick conversion ruled out leaving the sides at 1-1 each at the interval.

The second half was a much more exciting affair. Fiona McHale scored a wonder goal off her left foot just after the restart and Mayo raced to a 2-5 to 1-4 lead with 15 minutes to go.

However, 1-3 from Galway in the closing minutes, the goal coming from Geraldine Conneally, put them a point ahead requiring Staunton to force extra-time with a converted free-kick.

Staunton was on the mark in extra-time too, hitting 1-2 and a late, late 89th-minute goal but Galway had their own heroine in Duggan who landed 1-1 of their 1-3 tally to edge home.

MAYO: L Connolly; N O'Shea, H Lohan, MT Garvey; C O'Hara, Y Byrne, E Reilly; C Egan, C Heffernan; K Colleran, F McHale (1-1), T McNicholas; C McDermott (0-2), M Heffernan, C Staunton (1-6, 1f). Subs: E Mullin (1-0) for McNicholas (27), E Biggins for Egan (42), Egan for Heffernan (49), C McGing for O'Hara (56), M Carter for McDermott (68), N Tierney for Byrne (74).

GALWAY: U Carroll; A M McDonagh (0-1), R Stephens, F Wynne; A Daly, A Gilmore, E Flaherty (0-1); L Cohill, A Clarke; G Joyce, N Fahy (0-1), E Concannon (0-1); P Gleeson (0-1), N Duggan (2-3; 3f), L Joyce (0-2). Subs: M Delaney for G Joyce (23), G Conneally (1-0) for Delaney (46), E O'Malley for Gilmore (53), G Egan for Cohill (80), Delaney for Gleeson (83), Cohill for Delaney (89).

Referee: B Gallagher (Tyrone).