Mayo 0-14

Galway 0-13

Mayo hung on for a one-point victory over Galway at Pearse Stadium to lift the Nestor Cup for the first time since 2015.

In a disappointing spectacle, Mayo led by 0-8 to 0-5 at half-time after playing with the wind and shooting six wides. Still smarting from last month's heavy Allianz League defeat to their arch rivals, a Shane Walsh-inspired Galway fought back to within a point in the closing stages and had a late penalty appeal turned down as James Horan's men held on by the skin of their teeth to progress to an All-Ireland semi-final against either Cork or Tipperary.

And with three weeks to get themselves ready after playing five weekends in-a-row, they will fancy their chances of reaching another All-Ireland final.

With Tommy Conroy, Cillian O'Connor, Diarmuid O'Connor and Paddy Durcan on target and Mattie Ruane excelling at midfield, the winners had opened up a 0-5 to 0-1 lead by the 16th minute before Galway hit back with three Walsh points and another from Paul Kelly to trail by three at the interval.

Mayo captain Aidan O'Shea gets his hands on the Nestor Cup. ©INPHO/James Crombie.

Mayo grabbed three of the first four points after the restart per Ruane, Conroy and Bryan Walsh to extend their advantage to 0-11 to 0-6, but with Damien Comer making an impact off the bench and Walsh and Paul Conroy in fine scoring form, the hosts stormed back.

Walsh and Conroy scored five points between them as the Tribesmen cut the gap to two, 0-11 to 0-13, with six minutes remaining.

Mayo went three clear again before Conroy's third point left two in it. Walsh missed a couple of difficult frees from the right before the game ended in controversy when Sean Kelly was dragged down as he bore down on goal by Eoghan McLaughlin, who received a black card.

The Galway players screamed for a penalty, but they had to be content with a free which Walsh converted to leave the minimum in it as the home side fell just short. 

Mayo - D Clarke; C Barrett, P Durcan (0-1), O Mullin; S Coen, L Keegan, E McLaughlin; C Loftus, M Ruane (0-2); K McLaughlin, R O’Donoghue (0-1), D O’Connor (0-1); T Conroy (0-3), A O’Shea, C O’Connor (0-4, 2f). Subs: B Walsh (0-2) for R O’Donoghue, J Flynn for C Loftus, M Moran for T Conroy, K Higgins for K McLoughlin.

Galway - B Power; L Silke, S Mulkerrin, C McDaid; G O’Donnell (0-1), J Duane, J Heaney; S Kelly, P Conroy (0-3); P Kelly (0-1), M Daly, C Darcy; I Burke (0-1), D Conneely, S Walsh (0-7, 4f). Subs: R Steede for C Darcy, G Bradshaw for J Duane, K Molloy for G O’Donnell, D Comer for I Burke, G Sice for P Kelly.

Referee - S Hurson.

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