Mayo crowned Division 1 champions with hard-fought victory over Galway

Mayo were crowned Allianz National Football League Division 1 champions with a hard-fought 0-14 to 0-11 victory over Galway in Croke Park this afternoon.

Despite scoring just one point from play in the second half, Mayo managed to eke out victory – thanks in no small part to a man of the match display from goalkeeper Colm Reape, who made a number of big saves and scored three points to boot.

It represents Mayo's 13th league title overall, their first since 2019 and third of the century so far.

They were never behind in the game and made a great start, going six points to one ahead with little more than a quarter of an hour played, though Galway rallied to lie just three in arrears by the break.

That lightning start saw Colm Reape and Ryan O'Donoghue land frees either side of a monstrous point from James Carr before Sean Kelly, the Galway captain, got his team's first score on nine minutes. It followed the first of Reape's fine saves, the Knockmore man denying John Maher after a burst through the middle followed by a low shot. Kelly grabbed the rebound and fisted the ball over the bar.

Three more points in succession from O'Donoghue (mark), Paddy Durcan and Jordan Flynn had Mayo 0-6 to 0-1 up, but Shane Walsh landed one from distance to cut the deficit to four.

Galway then conjured up another goal chance, Johnny Heaney getting a toe poke to the ball ahead of the out-rushing Reape but steering his effort wide of the target. Reape was penalised for the follow through – getting a yellow card in the process – and Walsh split the posts with the free to reduce the gap to three.

Further scores by Walsh and Maher made it a one-point game (0-6 to 0-5) before Mayo landed two late frees, scored by O'Donoghue and Reape, to take an 0-8 to 0-5 lead into the break.

Galway roared into the game on the turnaround, Rob Finnerty scoring two quick points (one mark) to again cut the deficit to one.

At the other end, James Carr was denied by Galway 'keeper Connor Gleeson in what represented Mayo's best goal chance.

Reape and Walsh swapped 45s before Galway created another goal chance, the Mayo 'keeper denying Matthew Tierney on this occasion.

Mayo, needing a lift, scored two quick points through Ryan O'Donoghue (one free and one mark) but Walsh scored with a superb effort from play to make it 0-11 to 0-9 with 15 minutes to go.

Reape was on hand again to deny Damien Comer – a first-half substitute for the injured Johnny Heaney – and Galway were just a point behind when the increasingly influential Peter Cooke split the posts.

Another Mayo rally followed, with O'Donoghue landing two frees before Jack Coyne surged forward to score his team's first point from play of the second half in the first minute of injury time.

That left the Green and Red 0-14 to 0-10 ahead and seemingly on course to win with a degree of comfort, but Reape was called into action again to keep out a rasping shot by Cooke at the expense of a 45'. Walsh floated the dead ball into the danger area but it was a tad too long, and he also put a bit too much on a late free lobbed into the mixer.

Tomo Culhane blasted a shot over the bar with what proved to be the last kick of the game, leaving Mayo 0-14 to 0-11 winners against the Tribesmen on a memorable afternoon in Croke Park.

Mayo: Colm Reape (0-3); Jack Coyne (0-1), David McBrien, Sam Callinan; Stephen Coen, Conor Loftus, Paddy Durcan (0-1); Matthew Ruane, Diarmuid O'Connor; Fionn McDonagh, Jack Carney, Jordan Flynn (0-1); Aidan O'Shea, James Carr (0-1), Ryan O'Donoghue (0-7).

Subs used: Eoghan McLaughlin, Tommy Conroy, Darren McHale, Padraig O'Hora.

Galway: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Sean Kelly (0-1), Sean Fitzgerald; Dylan McHugh, John Daly, Cian Hernon; Paul Conroy, John Maher (0-1); Matthew Tierney, Johnny Heaney, Peter Cooke (0-1); Robert Finnerty (0-2), Shane Walsh (0-5), Cathal Sweeney.

Subs used: Damien Comer, Jack Glynn, Tomo Culhane (0-1), Daniel O'Flaherty.

Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare).