Mayo reached their first TG4 All-Ireland ladies SFC semi-final in seven years but only by the skin of their teeth after a nail-biting battle with Westmeath in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park Longford yesterday.
By Cliona Foley at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, Longford
The Connacht champions looked home and dry when they pulled four points clear in the third quarter, but a dramatic late Westmeath goal from midfield star Johanna Maher cut the gap to a minimum with four minutes left and it took a brilliant individual insurance point from Niamh Kelly to make Mayo’s victory safe.
Westmeath had one late chance when topscorer Leona Archibald won a free and took it quickly to Maud Annie Foley but, with another goal needed, her shot drifted wide just ahead of the buzzer.
Image: INPHO/Tom Beary
This year’s beaten Division 2 finalists really put it up to Mayo throughout.
They only trailed by two points (1-3 to 0-4) at half-time and Mayo’s first goal, on 26 minutes, was a lucky one when a Cora Staunton shot came off the cross-bar and fell into Doireann Hughes’ path.
They sides were level a third time seven minutes into the second half when the Midlanders got hit with a second sucker punch, after ace poacher Staunton stepped up quickly to take a 14m free and sent a rocket from her hands straight into the net.
That gave the stuttering Mayo attack the confidence they needed and they kicked on, with good points from Aileen Gilroy, Sarah Rowe and three more from Staunton pushing them clear.
Image: ©INPHO/Tom Beary
The Westmeath defence, where Fiona Claffey and Laura Brennan were outstanding and had held Staunton to just 0-2 (1f) by half-time and they might have pushed on if they had not persisted so long in chasing goals.
But Staunton eventually found her rhythm, Niamh Kelly was excellent throughout. Mayo looked ring-rusty after their six-week lay-off and this was probably the ideal preparation for their first All-Ireland semi-final since 2009.
"We didn’t do it in the most exemplary way possible but we did it, the dream is still alive," said relieved Mayo manager Frank Browne.
"It’s our first semi-final since 2009, that’s a long time for a county with a proud tradition of ladies football.
"It’s a damning statistic in some ways but we’ve got a lot of things right this year too and we’re still moving in the right direction.
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