Sport

Mayo on course

Women's Connacht SFC Final/ Mayo 4-9 Galway 0-10: All-Ireland senior champions Mayo remained on course to retain their title…

Mon Aug 11 2003 - 01:00

Women's Connacht SFC Final/Mayo 4-9 Galway 0-10: All-Ireland senior champions Mayo remained on course to retain their title when they comfortably defeated Galway in the Connacht final at sun-drenched McHale Park, Castlebar, yesterday.

While the champions never reached top gear they were always in complete control.

The real difference between the sides was Mayo made the most of their goal opportunities while Galway didn't really trouble the Mayo goalkeeper.

By half-time Mayo had built up a 10-point lead, thanks mainly to goals from Cora Staunton, Emma Mullin and Marcella Heffernan.

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Galway had a great goal chance just before half-time when they were awarded a penalty. However, Gillian Joyce's tame effort from the spot was easily saved by Denise Horan. So Mayo went into the break with a commanding lead of 3-4 to 0-3.

After the resumption Galway came more into it but their forwards found it difficult to get past a rock-solid Mayo defence.

Thirteen minutes into the half they were left with a real uphill battle when centre half forward Christina Heffernan sent a blistering shot to the back of the net. Galway never threw in the towel but couldn't really threaten the Mayo lead.

MAYO: D Horan; N O'Shea, H Lohan, E Reilly; MT Garvey, Y Byrne, C O'Hara; C Egan (0-2), E Biggins; E Mullin (1-2), C Heffernan (1-0), M Carter; C McDermott, M Heffernan (1-0), C Staunton (1-4). Subs used: S McGing, D O'Hora, M McGing (0-1), A Gallagher, MA O'Reilly.

GALWAY: J Connolly; E O'Malley, E Curley, F Wynne; A Daly, R Stephans, M O'Connell; L Cohill, A Clarke (0-1); E Flaherty, P Glesson (0-1), E Concannon; G Conneally, G Joyce (0-2); L Joyce (0-2). Subs used: R McPhilbin (0-1), S Fitzgerald (0-3), C Kyne, D Heverin, D Fallon.

Referee: M Duffy (Sligo).

• In the junior final at the same venue, Sligo beat Leitrim by two points, 4-8 to 0-18, after a thrilling encounter.

SCORERS: Sligo (L Brett 1-3, S McTiernan 1-2, N Mannion 1-0, S O'Reilly 1-0, I McNualty 0-2, J Mulligan 0-1; Leitrim (AM Cox 0-6, N Lee 0-4, D McDermott 0-3, S Quinn 0-2, M Quinn 0-1, S McLoughlin 0-1, C Egan 0-1).