Gaelic Games

Reape’s goals ensure champions Mayo ease into the last four once again

Corner forward strikes twice in the third quarter to kill off Armagh’s challenge

Mayo’s Cian Healy battles with Fergus Quinn of Armagh at Croke Park during the minor quarter-final. Photo: Donall Farmer/Inpho
Mayo’s Cian Healy battles with Fergus Quinn of Armagh at Croke Park during the minor quarter-final. Photo: Donall Farmer/Inpho
Mon Aug 04 2014 - 01:00

Mayo 3-13 Armagh 0-9

Defending All-Ireland minor football champions Mayo had no trouble booking their place in this year’s semi-finals after demolishing Armagh in Croke Park yesterday. The sides were level four times in the opening 20 minutes or so, but once the Connacht champions settled they made light work of the beaten Ulster finalists.

Fionán Duffy’s goal after 26 minutes put daylight between the teams and Mayo led 1-6 to 0-4 at half-time. Two goals from corner forward Brian Reape in the third quarter put the game to bed for Mayo, who will face the winners of today’s game between Kerry and Kildare in the semi-finals.

Mayo captain Cian Hanley was a big influence in the first half. He switched from centre forward to full forward and caused mayhem, setting up Duffy’s goal and a score for Barry Duffy as well as forcing a save from Armagh goalkeeper Ryan Kearney.

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Defensive frailty

Fionán Duffy took his goal well, waiting on the goalkeeper to commit before rounding the defender to roll the ball into the net.

Armagh were static and went 13 minutes without a score either side of half-time before Caolan McConville ended their scoring drought in the 34th minute. Shane Conlon thought he’d added another point a minute later, but it was rescinded after the referee decided to review the play on Hawk-Eye. Brian Reape hit two goals in four minutes as Mayo coasted to victory.

He ghosted inside unmarked, collected a weighted fist pass over the top from Sean Conlon to fire the ball past Kearney in the 38th minute. Reape was again in the right place to fist home after 41 minutes to put Mayo 3-10 to 0-5 ahead and effectively kill the game.

MAYO: M Flanagan; C Kilkenny, S Cunniffe, E O'Donoghue; J Forkan, B Duffy (0-1), S Conlon (0-1); G Walsh, M Ruane (0-1); G Boylan (0-1), C Hanley (0-3, 1f), S Akram; F Duffy (1-2), TJ Byrne (0-1), B Reape (2-1) Subs: C Byrne (0-1) for Boylan (39), S Brennan for Kilkenny (45), D Clarke for Forkan (50), L Byrne for F Duffy (66), O Horan (0-1) for Conlon (58), K Hopkins for Ruane (60)

ARMAGH: R Kearney; F Quinn, A Rushe, C Donnelly; K Mallon, C McKinney, C McNicholl; J Óg Burns (0-1), R McKeown (0-1); J Rafferty, O O'Neill (0-4, 3f), P Judge; R Hughes (0-1, f), S Conlon, C McConville (0-1). Subs: C Cullen for McKeown (HT), C Boylan for Mallon (41), C Grimley (0-1) for Conlon (41), C Higgins for Judge (44), C Murphy for McNicholl (47), P Quinn for Hughes (55)

Referee: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon).