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Mayo bounce back in style

Mayo 2-12 Derry 1-12: MAYO BOUNCED back from their defeat to Dublin last week to record a victory at Celtic Park on Saturday…

Mon Mar 15 2010 - 00:00

Mayo 2-12 Derry 1-12:MAYO BOUNCED back from their defeat to Dublin last week to record a victory at Celtic Park on Saturday night that was more emphatic than the scoreboard suggested.

The Ulster side don’t lose too many at this venue, this their first reverse at the Derry ground since 2007, but Mayo were much the better side and Eoin Bradley’s last-gasp goal gave the scoreline a veneer of respectability the home team didn’t really deserve.

Careless Derry defending gave Mayo a three-point lead in the opening 10 minutes with a free from Alan Dillon and two well-taken points from Enda Varley in the fifth and seventh minute respectively.

Derry responded with a Lee Moore free-kick from wide on the left and an amazing 40-yard point from Eoin Bradley close to the stand side to reduce to deficit to a single score. Derry restored parity in the 16th minute when Mark Lynch’s fisted pass found Gerard O’Kane and from 55 yards out the Derry skipper sent the ball sailing between the posts.

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Mayo regained the lead moments after James Kielt hit the post when captain Trevor Mortimer pointed from 25 yard out.

Mayo ran riot for the rest of the first half with two frees from Alan Dillon and a goal from Andy Moran. The goal came when Dillon floated the ball into the square, Patsy Bradley and Dermot McBride went for the ball and collided allowing Moran to slot the ball past Martin Dunne from close range.

After Paddy Bradley and Varney had exchanged early second-half points, disaster struck for Derry when Aiden O’Shea beat goalkeeper Dunne to give John O’Mahony’s men their second goal. Dillon’s lofted shot hung nicely in the air at the edge of the small square for O’Shea to rise and fist home.

For Derry only Eoin Bradley carried a threat but he had to live off scraps. His goal came too late as scores from Andy Moran and Mortimer had killed off hopes of a comeback.

DERRY:M Dunne; M McGoldrick, K McCloy, D McBride; C Kielt (0-1), M Lynch (0-1), G O'Kane (0-2); Patsy Bradley, J Kielt; F Doherty, Paddy Bradley (0-4, two frees), A McLaughlin; R Wilkinson, E Bradley (1-2), L Moore (0-2, two frees). Subs: SL McGoldrick for A McLaughlin, M Craig for L Moore both half-time, E Brown for R Wilkinson 56 mins.

MAYO:D Clarke; D Vaughan, G Cafferkey, K Higgins; L O'Malley, T Howley, K McLaughlin; T Parsons, K Conway; A Moran (1-1), S O'Shea (0-1), T Mortimer (0-2); E Varley (0-3), A O'Shea (1-1), A Dillon (0-3, three frees). Subs: C Barret (0-1) for G Cafferkey 40 mins.

Referee:Cormac Reilly (Meath).